PASMAG - Issue 141- Feb/Mar

ONLY 9!

THE TUNER’S SOURCE FOR MODIFIED CAR CULTURE

$4.9

RYAN TUERCK’S

GT4586

KYLE MOHAN’S 3-ROTOR MX-5 ND

TOYOTA DRIFT CAR WITH A FERRARI HEART

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SEMA 2016 › TOP 5 CARS OF THE SHOW

› GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS TOP 10 PRODUCTS › COVERAGE FROM A NOOB AND A VETERAN

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TESTED JL AUDIO C5-653 MOREL VIRTUS 602 NANO 2016-12-23 4:03 PM

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SOMETHING BIGGER IS COMING...

18” CONE 19.5” TALL 185 LBS › MORE THAN 10K RMS POWER ‹ › BRUTAL & BEASTLY, MASSIVE 6” VOICE COIL ‹

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CONTENTS

30 SEMA 2016 COVERAGE

THE

THE LARGEST AUTOMOTIVE TRADE SHOW THROUGH THE EYES OF A NOOB AND A VETERAN, RESPECTIVELY

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ISSUE

40 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS TOP 10

MICKY SLINGER'S TOP 10 AWARDED PRODUCTS FROM SEMA 2016

TOP 5 SEMA CARS

PASMAG'S EDITORS TAKE A STAB AT THEIR TOP 5 FAVORITE CARS FROM THE BIG SHOW

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PASMAG

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2016-12-23 5:23 PM

DON’T BREAK UP WITH YOUR CAR

UPGRADE IT SMARTPHONE TECHNOLOGY

MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT

CONVENIENCE PACKAGE

Upgrade your vehicle with the latest in-vehicle smartphone technology by adding Android Auto™, Apple CarPlay™, and Bluetooth®.

Enjoy more entertainment options when you upgrade the music sources in your vehicle with HD Radio™, Pandora®, SiriusXM®1, and Spotify®.

Put your mind at ease while on the road when you upgrade your vehicle with safety and convenience features including back up camera, navigation, rear parking assist2, and vehicle diagnostic information2.

pioneerelectronics.com/car 1. SiriusXM Connect Vehicle Tuner and subscription to SiriusXM Radio required (sold separately). 2. Retained features may vary by vehicle. Check compatibility at maestro.idatalink.com. Maestro RR module and additional accessory cables required. PIONEER, and the Pioneer logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation. Apple, CarPlay, and the CarPlay logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Bluetooth and associated logos are trademarks of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. HD Radio and the HD Radio logo are proprietary trademarks of iBiquity Digital Corp.

SiriusXM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of SiriusXM Radio Inc. Android and Android Auto are trademarks of Google Inc. iDatalink and Maestro are trademarks of Automotive Data Solutions Inc. Pandora, the Pandora logo and the Pandora trade dress are trademarks of Pandora Media, Inc. used with permission. Spotify, the Spotify logo, and Spotify trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of Spotify AB used with permission. Copyright: 2017 Pioneer Electronics (USA) INC.

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CONTENTS

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THE ISSUE

COLUMNS 16

TUNED IN

WITH

17

S TAY C R U S H I N G

WITH

Adam Zillin Rob Kochis

TUNER BATTLEGROUNDS #LIVE WINNERS 50

ALEXANDRE CHASSE'S

Jacob Leveton

Mitsubishi Evo X

51

E D G A R C A B R E R A' S

TRENDING

Nissan 350Z

18

DRIFT INSIDER

WITH

20

E V E N T S P O T T E R S

G UIDE

26

HOT NEW PRODUCTS

TEST REPORTS 44

JL AUDIO

C5-653 speakers

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MOREL

Virtus Nano 602 speakers

52 I R A

ALANI FOUQUETTE

MUNOZ'S

Acura TSX

53

J O E L Q U E S N E L' S

Honda Fit Sport

54

KEITH JOSE'S

Subaru Impreza WRX STI

55

MARBY ENRIQUEZ'S

Acura NSX

56

S A LVA D O R A R R I A G A ' S

Subaru Impreza WRX STI

MISC. 70 72 74

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE EVENT CALENDAR DIRECTORY LISTING

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ISSUE PREVIEW

DID 2016 SEMA LONG TO YOU?

CONNECT

PASMAG.COM TUNERBATTLEGROUNDS.COM

J

ust one last terrible pun to start off the year right!

Let me have this one, guys (also, I make no promises about that being my last pun).

Enough about my terrible sense of humor though, let’s get to business here: you flipped ope this issue for one of a few reasons, which I will now dissect with surgical precision.

1

You saw an FR-S with a Ferrari engine on the cover, you did a doubleand/or triple-take, your brain short circuited a little, and you just had to know what this madness was all about.

2

You saw an FR-S with a Ferrari engine on the cover, recognized it as Ryan Tuerck’s newest sideways sensation, the GT4586, and just wanted to know more about the process of how that beast came to be. We’ve got you more than covered there.

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Your eyes were drawn to Kyle Mohan’s drift MX-5, and once you saw the words “three-rotor,” you were overcome with an insatiable need for Doritos. After crushing some Cool Ranch, you (wiped off our finge s fi st, hopefully) cracked open the issue to see how Mohan put together this little monster.

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You saw the word “SEMA” and just had to dig in to see if we had covered something you missed from North America’s largest trade show. We ran around the Las Vegas Convention Center to deliver those goods to you. We have the insoles in our shoes to prove it. If you’re looking for the best builds and products unveiled at the big show, you’re holding the right bunch of paper.

5

You’re a complete audiophile and reading Garry Springgay’s reviews have become a ritual of sorts for you. Your life is no longer complete without knowing exactly which tracks Garry has used to unveil the strengths and weaknesses in today’s modern audio systems. Here we have component speakers from JL and Morel, which are some of the best Garry has tested in recent memory.

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PASMAG PASMAG PASMAG PASMAG.TUMBLR.COM BLOGS.PASMAG.COM PASNATION DOWNLOAD THE ITUNES APP PASMAG+

You’re my mom and you support me in everything I do.

No matter who you are (hi, mom!), we’ve got everything you’re looking for, plus some more you didn’t know you wanted. Happy New Year! And if this is your fi st time with us, we hope you’ll join us for what we think will be our best year yet. Thanks for picking us up, and welcome!

MICKY SLINGER PASMAG EDITOR

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2017

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PASMAG (ISSN # 1710-1573) is published 14 times a year by Performance Auto & Sound Inc. 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1, Canada SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (1 Year Starter) Canada and USA: $24.99 (2 Year Starter) Canada and USA: $34.99 (3 Year Starter) Canada and USA: $42.99 Toll Free: 1 (888) 564-SUBS [7827] subs@pasmag.com pasmag.com/subscribe GROUP PUBLISHER & CEO Tim Rutledge PUBLISHERS Blake Breslin & Perry Breslin FOUNDER & SR. VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Frank Spezzano

EDITORIAL EDITOR Micky Slinger ASSOCIATE EDITOR Adam Gordon GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Lee Bailie TECHNICAL EDITOR Garry Springgay DIGITAL COORDINATORS Nick Jambrosic, Adam Steinberg

CONTRIBUTORS Danny Batista Marc-Andre Bouffard Jeremy Brian Elite Tuner Ray Flores

Rob Kochis Steve Koss Rafael Leal Jacob Leveson Brian McGee Chris Pereira

Johnathan Pyle Joel Quesnel Vlad Shurigin Skooter Media Aaron Warburton

ART + PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR Queue Gonzalez PRODUCTION + SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Patrick Dinglasan SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Edward Shintani SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Patrick Beltijar GRAPHIC DESIGNER Mike Chan

S A L E S + A D M I N I S T R AT I O N DIRECTOR, AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT Randi Bentia DIRECTOR, CLIENT SERVICES Richard Robles DIRECTOR, SALES & MARKETING Frank Maguire DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Craig Sweetman CLIENT SERVICES Nicole Winters SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Anna Rutledge Performance Auto & Sound Magazine welcomes unsolicited contributions including stories (typewritten), photos, club news, events, etc.

(Forward to PAS, 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1, Canada) Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement #40069655 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NIAGARA FALLS, NY AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. U.S.P.S. # 022-608 U.S. OFFICE OF PUBLICATION: 1855 Maryland Ave., Niagara Falls, NY, 14305 U.S. POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CORRECTIONS TO: Performance Auto & Sound, Box 1082, Niagara Falls, NY, 14304 Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list, please write to us at the address below and include your mailing label.

For any subscription inquiries, including change of address, call 1 (888) 564-SUBS.

PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND Phone: (416) 922-7526 Fax: (416) 964-1836 Toll Free: (866) 737-8805 pasmag.com pas@pasmag.com

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SEMA Member

2016-12-23 2:17 PM

WITH

Adam Zillin

TUNED IN 7tune.com

@7Tune

adamzillinphotography

THE

THE DAYS OF CHEAP ‘90S JDM ARE GONE

ISSUE

There’s no doubt that you, like me, love Japanese cars from the ‘90s. But have you considered what’s been happening to the market values for these cars over the past year? Have you wondered why a humble Japanese-based Nissan or Toyota sportscar is now rapidly surging upward on the cash ticker?

I

have watched it in real time, every day, for the last 12 months, and there is a clear and upward trend here. Let me explain a little about what’s happening.

Your dream goal is to own a Skyline, a Supra, or any of the vast plethora of JDM vehicles spewing from Japan between 1989 and 1999. Now that they’re finally coming of age and you’re able to import that 25-year-old prom queen you’ve been shopping around for; you’re smitten by the prospect. But suddenly, Japanese metal isn’t so cheap anymore and you’re concerned by the prices being asked by dealers and exporters, both local and abroad.

This is a typical market reaction, and predictably, it is what happens when you starve Americans of anything they crave for almost three

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decades. In this particular case, when you finally open the doors to the “25 and over” buffet, anything can happen.

With the R32 Skyline, the herd has charged, smashing the hinges clean off t e gate, with pandemonium (and price spikes) following soon after.

It’s all about supply and demand, friends. For example, the stock of R32 Skylines in Japan is at an all-time low, with clean, low-mileage

examples fetching a large premium. It’s this way because Australia, New Zealand, and the UK got in decades earlier. Would it surprise you to learn that a great condition, low-mileage 2000 BMW M5 can fetch roughly the same amount of money as a 25-year-old Nissan R32 GT-R? At 7Tune Exports, we only source the best for ourselves and our clients, and while we are Japan-based, we still

know and prefer quality over quantity, so we absolutely handpick every vehicle from the fruit that is left on the tree. Not that this is the problem, but since demand is so high in North America now, it gives an equal issue to the supply chain.

The days of “cheap” ‘90s JDM sports cars are long gone if you’re looking for anything but an absolute beater, and prospective clients will need to dig deeper into their own pockets to own their own slice. That being said, it can still be done. I have a one-owner R32 GTS-t in the super rare TH1 color sitting in storage, waiting for the right buyer. If you’re looking for something and you’re serious about ownership and an endto-end delivery, you can contact me at adam@7tune.com and we can go from there.

The hardest part to comprehend is that Japanese sports cars have been, for a very long time, viewed and treated as disposable accessories or assets; and still are treated like that to this day. Drifters smash these cars into walls on purpose for a laugh, while the supply dwindles every day. Meanwhile, support in Japan is thin thanks to the disposable attitude toward the nature of these machines.

It’s tragic.

Moving forward, I would hope that all PAS readers understand that ‘90s JDM machinery is a finite resource, and that these machines must be cherished and respected, as the market prices are reflecting the neglect.

The bottom line is that these prices are never coming down. However, if you are looking for something, and prefer quality over quantity, then you just need to ask me.

It’s not only a service to the community for me financially and intrinsically, but an axiom for all 7Tune stands for.

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2017

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WITH

Rob Kochis

STAY CRUSHING stay_crushing

@staycrushing

staycrushing

staycrushing

THE ISSUE

DIALED IN & DYNO’D Let’s get right into it! The big news is that the car has been dyno’d!

If you’re as excited about this as I am, you’re dying to know what the car made. Well, it’s a little more complicated than that.

S

ee, the dyno we used is a Super Flow, which typically read about 10 percent lower than a traditional dyno. The reason for MotoIQ using this type of set up is to simulate more load on the car. My original setup on a traditional dyno is around 270-wheelhorsepower, but when we did a baseline dyno, we barely hit 230. That’s unusually low for a supercharged car with a full header-back exhaust. We were puzzled, but after some detective work, we found some clues.

When I originally bought my flex fuel kit, the company I dealt with sent me a harness that was pinned wrong. I came to find out during tuning that I had a bad flex fuel sensor. Luckily, MotoIQ headquarters had an old sensor laying around and we swapped it, and after the swap, we made noticeable gains in power, especially considering we lowered the compression from 12.5:1 to 10.5:1.

At 7,200 rpm on e60 fuel (still had some 91 in the tank),

we put down 320 whp on the dyno. The reason I said that it's hard to say what this car made is the fact that we actually increased the redline to 7,800 rpm, and about 600 rpm early the dyno would stop reading. Since the car kept pulling to redline in a linear fashion, our estimate is about 340 whp at redline.

Another thing: as it’s a Super Flow dyno, and they read about 10 percent under other dynos, we’re actually around 370 whp on e60 at redline, which is actually more power than I wanted.

Some of you are probably confused right now, going, “More power than what he wanted?” Yes, and there are a couple reasons for that. One of the main reasons is reliability, specifically to do with the transmission. The transmission on these cars is like glass. If you make over 300 lb-ft of torque to the wheels on this thing, kiss your synchros goodbye. Thankfully, I’m only around 240 lb-ft.

Another concern is the drivetrain, hubs, and differential. To date, I've blown two diff , three sets of axles,

and a driveshaft. I don't want to get stuck replacing stuff again, so I’ve raised the rear of the car, allowing the axles to remain level.

Overall, the results surpassed what the crew at MotoIQ, my tuner from RD Engineering, Ronnie, and I expected. Even with 23

degrees of timing, a raised redline, and a few other adjustments, the car just kept making power. With the built motor, V2 block-fed Vortech supercharger system, RD Engineering's amazing tuning, and DeatschWerks 900-cc injectors and 340-lph fuel pump running just shy of 35 percent duty cycle, we estimate the car to break 400 whp at its 7,800-rpm redline.

Oh, and best of all, there was absolutely no misfire, knock, or cooling issues while tuning. The cooling I can for sure lend thanks to the Jackson Racing radiator/ oil cooler combo. I highly recommend it if you’re thinking of running some extra power with the FA20 motor.

Now, rather than just looking like a beast, this car is a beast! Be sure to check this section of PASMAG, my Instagram @staycrushing, and MotoIQ.com for updates on the build. Next up is track prep! We’ll be improving the rigidity and balance of the car, so it’s as nimble as possible for its track testing.

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WITH

JACOB'S DRIFT Competition

jacobphoto.com JacobLevetonDrift

2016

Jacob Leveton

OFF SEASON UPDATES

Each offseason, the drifting community anxiously awaits details ahead of the April seasonopening event of the Formula Drift season in Long Beach, California. This year, we got a handful of details at both the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, as well as in the weeks following the show that we couldn’t wait to share with you! Here’s a quick look at some of the excitement that happened after the close of the 2016 Formula Drift season.

THE E ISSU

CHRIS FORSBERG SWITCHES FROM V8 POWER TO TURBOCHARGED POWERPLANT FORMER CHAMPION SAMUEL HUBINETTE DRIFTS LAMBORGHINI HURACAN IN VIRAL VIDEO

FORMULA D ANNOUNCES 2017 SCHEDULE While there weren’t any new locations on the 2017 schedule, there was a major change in the order of existing tracks. For the first time, Orlando Speedworld will precede Road Atlanta, moving the track that launched Formula Drift back in 2004 to the third stop on the list for the first time ever. Long Beach’s earlier March 31st / April 1st date gives the teams enough time to haul to Orlando and still have a two-week break before the annual stop in Atlanta over Mother’s Day weekend. Teams will continue to New Jersey, Montreal, Seattle, Texas, and Irwindale in the same order for stops four through eight similarly to the 2016 schedule. Here’s a look at the complete rundown: MARCH 31ST – APRIL 1ST

STREETS OF LONG BEACH

LONG BEACH, CA

APRIL 28TH – APRIL 29TH

ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD

ORLANDO, FL

MAY 12TH – MAY 13TH

ROAD ATLANTA

ATLANTA, GA

JULY 14TH – JULY 15TH

AUTODROME ST. EUSTACHE

MONTREAL, QC

AUGUST 4TH- AUGUST 5TH

EVERGREEN SPEEDWAY

MONROE, WA

SEPT 8TH – SEPT 9TH

TEXAS MOTORSPEEDWAY

DALLAS, TX

OCT 13TH – OCT 14TH

IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY

IRWINDALE, CA

While Samuel Hubinette has been out of Formula Drift competition for a few seasons now, we are always keeping tabs on him as the inaugural Formula Drift champion and still the current leader in total event wins. Hubinette launched a viral video at the SEMA Show, drifting a Lamborghini Huracan around a dealership and racking up over a million views in the first 24 hours. While Hubinette doesn’t have any plans to return to Formula Drift competition in the short term, we would never count it out of the realm of possibilities for the future. Most impressive about the car is that the only performance modification that was necessary for the shoot was a hydraulic handbrake, no steering modifications were needed to get the car sideways!

Twenty-sixteen Formula Drift champion Chris Forsberg announced in the offseason that his Nissan 370z will no longer be powered by a V8 engine. Forsberg has used V8 engines in his competition car since 2006, but will be switching to a turbocharged V6 engine setup for the 2017 season. Forsberg told us “I am always down for a new challenge, and with the recent developments in the world of forced induction, I feel comfortable moving to a turbocharged Nissan VQ engine in my Formula Drift program.” Forsberg last competed in a turbocharged car in 2005, when he piloted the Password JDM Nissan S15, which contained an SR20DET motor. He also had an SR20DET motor in his 350Z chassis that he drove in the inaugural 2004 season, the only 350Z chassis that utilized a four-cylinder motor in Formula Drift competition. As the only driver with three championships to his name, we’re excited to see Forsberg prove the new powerplant heading into his 14th season of competition.

BLACK MAGIC SIGNS ON TO BECOME 2017 TITLE SPONSOR Formula Drift also announced a new title sponsorship with Black Magic car care products at the 2016 SEMA show in Las Vegas. The title trophy will now be known as the “Black Magic Championship Cup Powered by Gumout,” while the series will be referred to as the “Black Magic Formula Drift Championship presented by Blackvue Dash Cameras.” Black Magic entered the series as a sponsor with Vaughn Gittin Jr. before stepping up as the title sponsor of Ryan Tuerck in 2016.

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FEBRUARY // MARCH 2017

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2016-12-23 2:43 PM

POWER COUPLE

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SEMA CARS ---------------------

PRODUCTS ------------------

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EVENT SPOTTER'S GUIDE

KMS DRIFT ROUND 8 SEASON 6 COMES TO AN EXCITING CONCLUSION STORY BY STEVE KOSS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY J.P PHOTOGRAPHY KMS Drift Season Six is in the books, the winners have their prizes, and 2017 starts soon.

Thank you to all that came out and enjoyed the KMS Drift Finals despite the cold weather (high of 48 degrees). Over 200 fans still came out to support the drivers they have followed all season long.

We had a lot of fun in 2016, with a lot of new drivers coming to see what KMS is all about!

For the Finals, we had 38 drivers come out for end-of-season seat time and some friendly competition between peers. The driver meeting for the fina s stayed the same as always: clipping points and line were the major factors be judged on. For this event, we had the top three drivers from each class in the judging booth giving their opinion and input on the scoring. This gives them the

chance to see what it’s all about and make them better informed over all.

With the top three Pro Class drivers in the judge booth, we were onto Street Class. Eric Miller won the Street Class series and led the points all season, making every event during this season. His new crew chief had him back on track, leading him to a victory. Eric now moves onto the Pro Class in 2017!

Congratulations to Eric for showing that seat time pays off in thi fine mo orsport.

Now, down to the fina s for Pro Class. As always, the Pro Class is full of serious competitors; no one wants to lose at this level. For this, we had the three Top Street drivers and a total of eight judges watching and recording. KMS Drift wanted to get it right. The battle for 1st and 2nd place took an OMT,

six minutes of watching the runs on video over, and even counting the clipping points each driver won to get the winner. Paul Patrick was ruled by the panel of eight as winning two more clipping points than Trent did in OMT competition. If it was only one clipping point, we would have had an OMT again!

Seeing the drivers go hard at it and leave nothing on the track, but tire chunks and broke cars at the end of the day, was one hell of a way to keep a cold day warm.

What a great way to end the season and get ready for 2017!

Congratulations to all! We look forward to seeing everyone back in 2017 as the KMS Drift Championship Series enters its seventh season as the leader of grassroots drifting in the South-East.

THE

OVERALL EVENT WINNERS: KAAZ Pick: Darnell Beauge Castrol Pick: Castrol Eric Johnson Monster Pick: Joe Houck Drift Life Mag Pick: Robert Houck Rockingham Pick: Cody Karns Bell Racing Development Pick: Eric Johnson Heat Wave Visual Pick: Jake Powers Exedy Clutch Pick: Keith Barton RaceQuip Pick: Eric Miller Husky Liners Pick: Tristen Risin Carnage Graphics Pick: Darnell Beauge RockAuto Pick: Ross Thompson KMS Pick/Kiss Ass: Heather Benz Most Improved: Castrol Anthony Edquist Best 2 Car Tandem: Paul Patrick Fastest Entry Speed: Cody Karns (52 mph) Most Smoke: Paul Patrick Hard Luck: Bobby Kahler Best Ride Along: Paul Patrick 2016 END OF SEASON EARNED AWARDS: BEST TEAM OF 2016: DISTILLED AUTOWORX DRIFT AMBASSADOR OF 2016: Paul Patrick DRIFT YOUNGSTER OF 2016: Jack Kutniewski HARD LUCK OF 2016: Danny Athitang NO CONTROL OF 2016: Eric Miller MOST IMPRESSIVE OF 2016: Anthony Edquist HIGH HOPES OF 2016: Bobby Kahler MOST IMPROVED OF 2016: Cody Karns WALL LOVER OF 2016: Mark Tillman MOST ENERGETIC OF 2016: Mike Geo FINALS STREET COMP WINNERS 1st: Eric Miller 2nd: Cody Karns 3rd: Robert Houck FINALS PRO COMP WINNERS 1st: Paul Patrick 2nd: Tristen Risin 3rd: Tyler Wilhelm GET THE FULL PICTURE

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FEBRUARY // MARCH 2017

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TRENDING

The final list of the CSCS Season Finale results are in DRIFT 1st: Riley Sexsmith 2nd: MoneyGang Steve 3rd: Patrick Cyr DRAG RACING Street Canadian FWD (SCFWD) 1st Place: Max Durand Super Street 1st Place: April Sunday Street Warz 1st Place: Brady Lesperance Bracket 1st Place: Clint McAdams SONAX TUNER CUP SHOW & SHINE Best of Show Awards 1st: Brian Viveiros 2nd: Clench Highrollaz 3rd: Kyle Gibson

TIME ATTACK Unlimited AWD 1st Place: Brian Wong RWD 1st Place: Sasha Anis FWD 1st Place: James Houghton Super Street AWD 1st Place: Richard Boake RWD 1st Place: Steve Bortolotti FWD 1st Place: Conrad Falkenberg AWD 1st Place: Ryan Byrne

SEPT 18 2016

CSCS: Round 5

TORONTO MOTORSPORTS PARK, CAYUGA, ON

STORY BY CHRIS PEREIRA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SKOOTER MEDIA

The CSCS Season Finale, presented by Pirelli, was a tremendously exciting event for CSCS fans new and old! Powered

by Rota Wheels, the packed house at TMP Cayuga gave way to championship-type energy and support for all competitors.

Congratulations to all CSCS competitors, sponsors, and fans who didn’t let a spot of rain dampen their true racing spirits. Thank you!

Street RWD 1st Place: Ramesh Krishnan FWD 1st Place: Lap Li

EVENT SPOTTER'S GUIDE

THE ISSU E

NOV 12 2016

StanceWars: Houston MINUTE MAID PARK, HOUSTON, TX

STORY BY MIKE TOLLIVER. PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANNY BATISTA

After two years of planning and lots of hurdles, StanceWars finally made a sh w that wasn't on the West Coast, and it just happened to land in Houston, Texas. How do you take the vibe of a really cool car meet and turn that into a car event? That’s what StanceWars is all about.

If you've seen the hundreds of videos on YouTube, you get a sense of what they're trying to accomplish: amazing cars, different locations, and just plain fun.

At the event, the Top 100 were spaciously setup underneath the freeway. All the cars that came close to making the cut we're parked

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off-center, inside the event, along with some VIP in show parking.

We defini ely took notice of the amazing Toyo Tires Alley with a handful of amazing rides. The vendor and sponsor booth cars were just as hot as the show cars.

Later in the day, when the sun started to set, was when the air ride limbo started and prizes and awards were handed out.

StanceWars is coming back November 18th next year. For 2017, StanceWars is going to

be making a series across the country, starting out in Las Vegas April 1st, then a three-day party in Seattle with a water park, the fitment e ent, and something just for the media July 7th to 9th. An internet rumor has it that an East Coast event in September is being planned in secret. Then the tour will finish in Hous on, Texas.

FILL 'ER UP

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awards Hottest Performance Award Ducky Tysdal – Hyundai Genesis @duckytysdal Best of Show Javier Rodriguez, Infiniti G35 @javi_swift_t Hottest Team Team Prospect Miss HIN Heidi @msfitheidij

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HIN: Houston

NRG CENTER, HOUSTON, TX

STORY BY KATIE MICLAT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANNY BATISTA

Gillman Subaru’s Hot Import Nights presented

by Valvoline returned to Houston, Texas, with a sold-out event at NRG Center on Saturday, December 10th. The final car competition of HIN’s 2016 year featured the top vehicles and car teams, who showed up in full force. Javier Rodriguez took home the Best of Show award with his impressive Infinity G35 and Ducky Tysdal took home the Hottest Performance Award presented by

Valvoline with his 1,230-whp twinturbo LS-swapped Genesis. The Suicide Stage filled the massi e hall with electrifying visuals, DJ battles by DJ Pri Yon Joni, BabyBoi, and Kidstylez, plus live performances by Jargon featuring Mhaye Monti.

FILL 'ER UP

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HOT NEW PRODUCTS Clarion CC720 Dashcam $199.99 | Clarion.com Clarion’s legacy of high quality automotive cameras is taken to the next level in terms of safety and performance with the CC720.

Features include a wide, 160-degree viewing angle, hydrophobic coating, 0.1 lux CMOS sensor with 348,000 pixels, defeatable guide line, and selectable true/mirror image. To maximize safety, the CC720 boasts a waterproof microphone so you can both see and hear other vehicles.

Clarion

NX807 Head Unit

AEM Electronics

$1,199.99 | Clarion.com

CD-7 and CD-7L Digital Dash Displays

Featuring a vivid 7-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay, the all-new NX807 is Clarion’s flagship 2-DIN infotainment source unit for 2017. Boasting a broad array of premium features, including Bluetooth with Siri Eyes Free, Navigation, HDMI mirroring, Hi-Res FLAC (24-bit/96 kHz), and S/PDIF digital output, the NX807 is the perfect upgrade for anyone looking for connectivity and convenience when driving.

From $1,443.33 | AEMPower.com Racers rejoice! AEM’s Performance Electronics division has introduced a digital dash display series complete with everything you need on track day.

A bright, high contrast display can be viewed in sunlight, and features everything from instrument display to optional logging and lap time tracking with a Vehicle Dynamics Module.

Design Engineering Inc Easy Loom Split Sleeves DesignEngineering.com DEI’s protective Easy Loom Split Sleeves provide superior protection of wire, hoses and cables exposed to caustic solvents, abrasion or the elements. Designed with a clean, classy woven material that looks better than plastic tubing, Easy Loom Split Sleeves are easy to install or remove for maintenance. Made with a self-closing, split design with a 30% overlap, they can be installed quickly without the need to disconnect wires, cables and hoses.

Illusion Audio Luccent L6

$699 | IllusionAudio-America.com SIZE (IN.): 6.5 DESIGN: 2-way WOOFER CONE & SURROUND: Polypropylene cone, Butyl rubber surround TWEETER MATERIAL: Ceramic-coated aluminum POWER (RMS/PEAK): 75 W RMS BASKET: Cast Aluminum

The Illusion Audio Luccent L6 has a neodymium front magnet design which keeps the driver light and thin, coming it at a 2-inch mounting depth that fi s in most cars. It has a 25mm coated aluminum tweeter that has all the detail of a metal dome with the smoothness of a very good quality soft dome. Illusion also uses a sealed cast chamber behind the tweeter to help get it to a lower, 2000 Hz crossover point.

Eibach

Sportline Sport Performance Springs for 2016-2017 Honda Civic Eibach.com Sportline performance springs were developed for the lowest possible center of gravity and highest level of street performance and for the enthusiast craving race-car like looks with the handling to match. Lowers ride height by 1 inch in the front, and 1.3 inches in the rear.

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HALOGEN BULB REPLACEMENT BRIGHTER THAN HALOGEN SMALLER FOOTPRINT FOR VERSATILE APPLICATION FITMENT EXCELLENT FOCAL PATTERN 6 PCBBS FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY COOLING

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PREMIUM XENON HID INCREASED EFFICIENCY • ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES • PREMIUM PARTS

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ULTRA LED LIGHTING CONVERSION KITS FOR VEHICLES WITH HALOGEN BULBS OR SEALED BEAMS

S A L E S @ LU M ENSHI D .C O M | 1 - 8 ­ 8 8 - ­8 2 2 - ­6 1 2 0 | WWW. LU MEN SHPL . C OM | D EAL ER IN QU IRIES WELCO M E

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Orion

XTR4000.1D $975 | OrionCarAudio.com CHANNELS: 1 (Mono) TOPOLOGY: D POWER (CEA-2006): 4000 watts @ 1 ohm CROSSOVERS: Yes EQUALIZATION: Yes FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz-250Hz S/N RATIO (CEA-2006): >65dB DIMENSIONS (IN.): 9.25 x 2.5 x 21.5

This amplifier orks at 12.6 volts stable, and is ready to deliver quality power to any system confi uration.

Metra

BMW 3-Series 1990-2006 Dash Kit MetraOnline.com Metra’s new 95-9312B and the 95-9313B are replacement dash kits for installing an aftermarket DDIN radio in the BMW 3-Series, model years 1999-2006.

The 95-9312B is specifi ally designed for models with 5 separate buttons in the lower dash, and the 95-9313B is for models that have one large panel. Includes the parts to relocate the factory climate controls, and also to modify the factory sub-dash.

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Mio MiVue 698 Dual

$419.99 | Mio.com The 698 Dual features full 30 FDS Extreme HD recording at 2304x1296 for the front camera and 1920x1080 for the rear camera. Amazing clarity is provided by H.264 video compression.

A 2.7-inch LCD display provides an intuitive interface with display of GPS-based speed, lane departure and forward collision warnings and more.

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MTX Audio

THUNDER500.1 Amplifier $179.95 | MTX.com

Mosconi 8to12 Aerospace

$1,399 | Mosconi-America.com The 8to12 Aerospace is proudly designed and built in Italy. It has eight inputs, with 12 channel outputs and offers two digital inputs and an optical output.

It is the only processor that works with 192khz/24bit resolution internally throughout all stages. It has the power to do 120db/oct. slopes, along with many crossover types to choose from. The powerful auto source selector is standard on the 8to12.

Rockford Fosgate

CHANNELS: Mono (1) TOPOLOGY: D POWER (CEA-2006): 1 x 500 watts CROSSOVERS: Variable Low @ 40Hz to 220Hz 12dB/Oct EQUALIZATION: Subsonic Filter 10Hz to 50Hz 12dB/Oct Variable FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 10Hz-220Hz S/N RATIO (CEA-2006): 80dB DIMENSIONS (IN.): 6.3 x 8.94 x 2.25

The THUNDER500.1 is a high powered mono block subwoofer amplifier apable of delivering up to 500-watts RMS power at 2Ω. A variable low crossover (12dB/Oct), subsonic fi ter, and bass boost give the user the ability to tailor the sound to their preference. The unit is designed to be installed in almost any vehicle due to its small size. The power terminal accepts up to 4-AWG power and ground wire.

T1000X5ad 5 Channel Amplifier $999.99 | RockfordFosgate.com CHANNELS: 5 TOPOLOGY: A/D POWER (CEA-2006): 1000 watts CROSSOVERS: HP/AP/LP front/rear, LP sub EQUALIZATION: On-board Punch EQ, Infrasonic FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20-20kHz S/N RATIO (CEA-2006): >80 F/R, >75 Sub DIMENSIONS (IN.): H1.62 x W4.25 x L12

The Power T1000x5ad is a compact, Class A/D 1000 Watt multi-channel amplifie . It features differential inputs with high-level auto turn-on, CLEAN circuit with input/output clip detection, top mounted controls and dual-fan forced induction cooling. It is perfect for hybrid & electric vehicles, small cars, trucks, motorcycles, and side-by-side UTVs.

MAXG

#gripactivated whitelineperformance.com

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THE ISSUE 2016

The largest automotive trade show through the eyes of a noob and a veteran, respectively

BY ADAM GORDON & MICKY SLINGER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM GORDON, MICKY SLINGER & ELITE TUNER

Adam Gordon AS S O C IAT E

E DITOR

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As a fi st-timer at SEMA, the Las Vegas Convention Center is truly a sensory overload much like Las Vegas itself. It can be overwhelming at times when you don't know what to look at, or where to explore next. With luck, and some planning, I was able to see the entire show, only finishing m tour of duty in the final hou s of the last day. Picking favorites from the plethora of builds was a task in itself.

This was my third SEMA. Since 2013, I’ve been trekking to the desert, setting up basecamp at one of the hotels near the Las Vegas Convention Center (RIP Riviera, forever in our hearts), and running through its halls like a madman, camera in hand.

I have to say, the builds this year were outstanding, and the vast majority were actually functional cars, which was a nice change of pace from last year’s “stance-offs.” The one thing that did remain the same was the seemingly never-ending sea of people that you will have to elbow out of the way to get to, or shoot anything.

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THE blue lot The Blue Lot out behind the central hall was like a show of its own. No exhibitors here - just cool cars that met the SEMA standards. The lot, much like the show itself, was big on variety. Big trucks, sport compacts and all sorts of weird projects like a lifted Toyota Prius and a chopped Subaru built by Mighty Car Mods could be found here. Before we met the guys from Radi8 Wheels, we met their cars in the Blue Lot. Decorated in a blue and pink pixelated pattern, these Euros stood out from the crowd, and looked stunning with blue Nevada skies as their backdrop.

Blue Lot was so much more impressive this year. Instead of a random smattering of cars that couldn’t fit in the building right outside of the Toyota show presence was a parking lot set up like a car meet, with some of the highest profil builds out there, for any kind of taste. Heavy hitters, like Anthony DeGuzman’s TBGChampionship-winning Supra was in attendance, as well as some uniquely styled cars from LowBallers Crew, and a few highly-modified xotics were sprinkled in for good measure.

If you needed a break from the crowds inside, this was a great palette cleanser.

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The Richard Petty Driving Experience

Toyo Treadpass Possibly my personal favorite section of the 2016 SEMA show, Toyo Treadpass was carefully tucked between two buildings, remaining undiscovered by us until the second or third day of the show. The Treadpass featured some of the wildest rides imaginable, including the Chasing J's 2JZ-powered Datsun 260Z, Bulletproof Automotive's latest GT-R, one of very few existing Rocket Bunny Boss RX-7s, and some stunning widebody exotics. Whatever your taste, there was something here for everyone, built to the fringes of what is possible.

I will totally agree with Adam here in the fact that the Toyo Treadpass was a defini e favorite of the show for myself, but also that it was hard to find We heard legend of this “Treadpass” from others during our few days at SEMA, and found it just before the end of the show. The Toyo Treadpass is a favorite every year, actually. How can you not love this area? Secluded from the rest of the show, this little automotive alcove hosts some of the most impressive builds of SEMA, most of which are world premiers for car owners/ builders (Like Angelina Mead King’s show-stopping “Black Manta” Corvette) or body kit manufacturers (like TRA Kyoto’s Kei Muira). If you’ve never been down the Treadpass, you owe it to yourself!

One of our sales staff was offered a once-ina-lifetime experience by McLeod, a partner of ours.

Fortunately for me, he was unable to make it that night due to other meetings, so he extended the invitation to me. The invite was to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to drive genuine NASCAR stock-cars around the track.

I didn't even believe it when I got the message. Sure enough, the message was real, and after the show ended on the Wednesday, I was boarding a coach bus with the McLeod team. After a brief course on proper NASCAR ettiquette, we were suited up and walked out trackside.

Under the stadium lights of the racetrack, the cars looked incredible in the night. Admittedly, I was a little bit nervous before driving, but all of that fades away pretty quickly once you're strapped in and ready to go.

An instructor sits shotgun to guide you through the experience, which definitely helps. Before this experience, I wasn't much of a NASCAR guy, but after experiencing the thundering V8 under my own foot, I get it. I totally get it. Driving the #13 car at 140 mph (225 km/h) under the stadium lights is something I will never forget.

I was also given an invitation for this. I had a dinner meeting that night and couldn’t go. I’m still salty.

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THE silver lot

SEMA Ignited As the only fi st-timer in the PAS family, I felt obligated to experience SEMA Ignited in all its glory. As most of our tired team made their way back to the hotel to prepare for the impending flight out of there, all but jumped out of the car as we rolled by the Gold Lot where Ignited took place. Once inside, the sensory overload of SEMA was back on. The SEMA Parade moved through the lot, around the live drift demo, and finall to a fork in the road where drivers either continued to the exit, or came to join the party.

I was greeted by many familiar faces from earlier in the week, including our 2016 TBG Championship winner, Gerbie Reyes, who also had to come see the commotion for himself. After meeting up with Kato of Liberty Walk to get a closer look inside his special Datsun, and enjoying some more of the parade procession, it was time to go home. What a week!

Can confirm, Adam li erally jumped out of our van, mid-traffic, and spri ed to the parking area to take in all that Ignited had to offer. For those unfamiliar, Ignited starts in the Convention Center on the last day of SEMA. An announcement is made that the show is over, which signals every car at SEMA to start their engines at the same time (my favorite part every year) and leave the building, singlefile, in a parade rou e to the Gold Lot, where a huge car meet takes place with SEMA’s best of the best. Having done it twice before and suffering from a case of Icantfeelmyfeetitis, I headed back to the hotel to pack up. If my fun and exhaustion levels were anything to go by, SEMA 2016 was one for the books!

The main outside area is like the SEMA circus.

It's always the center of attention, with live drift demos, trophy truck stunts, and all sorts of action in the middle, surrounded by some of SEMA's wildest builds and racecars scattered around the edges. After taking in the action, a walk through the pits will have you staring at real marvels like the drift car lineup, notably heavy on Fords, but still composed of a healthy variety.

Wild projects like the V12 LS Camaro are lined up here as well, constantly drawing a crowd, and the section for performance trucks is a show of its own with rock crawlers, Baja trucks and everything in between. A personal favorite out here is Arc Audio's section, thanks to a deep green RWB convertible Porsche with a custom surfboard mount, integrated storage for beach gear, and a clever audio install that saves space in the cockpit.

SEMA has a soundtrack, and it’s the constant echoing of roaring V8s and burning rubber that emanates from the “Ford Out Front” outdoor show presence.

As you walk out of the LVCC and past the premium outside parking spots, you’ll pass through a gate and a cloud of tire smoke to find the drift area.

Here, Vaughn Gittin Jr., along with some friends he’s invited along, hoon around in hopped-up Mustangs and F-150s. The past two years, I’ve had a ride-along with Gittin in his drift car, and that experience is mind-bending.

The adrenaline shakes and thundering engine vibrations through my chest after being ripped around for a few minutes will never get old, even a year later. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to see if I could be scheduled in for a drift appointment this year, but that was because I was too caught up in taking in the outstanding builds, Ford or otherwise, bordering the area.

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Umbrella Auto Design’s Audi R8 Look at this car – just look at it. I really don’t know if I’ve ever experienced love at first sight ike this before.

The carbon fiber ook this R8 has going on isn’t some tacky wrap, this is the real thing, which gets even more impressive when you learn that the whole kit (spoiler and diffu er included) is a legitimate dry carbon widebody from Audi Motorsport. Squatting super low on JRZ/Swift springs combo coilovers over the 20-inch Advan GT wheels, this car paints such a pretty picture; even more so when it takes off its ants.

The removal of the rear bumper gives way to CFI’s twin-turbo artwork. Just one more thing to sweeten the deal here: the guy that Ravi at UAD built this car for is going to street drive it.

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Old & New’s Slantnose Porsche 997

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In 1981, you could order a Porsche 930 with a “Flachbau,” or flatnose/slantnose. In 2016, you can order a whole kit to make your 997 look like it came from Porsche’s special order program. Old & New is the newest of the extreme widebody kit manufacturers to come out of Japan, and for their debut, they took Mikey Cristi’s 997 and outfi ted it with their take on what a modern slantnose would be. Their vision is a monumental success. After seeing it, it’s one of those things you can’t get out of your head.

The kit will even fit on 996 (barring the rear bumper), and I can’t wait to start seeing these on some older model Porsches to see how it compares!

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THE LATEST TRENDS, FULL THROTTLE

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WD Ultimate’s Pandem Mazda RX-7

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I’m going to be real with you: when the Pandem kit came out for the RX-7, I hated it. Taking a good-looking FD and smacking that stupid RX-3 front end on it made my blood boil – not because I’m some Dorito-loving purist, but mostly because it was ugly as sin. It’s funny though, because in the hands of Will Blanco at WD Ultimate, I absolutely loved his take on the face-swapped FD. It could be his reworking of the front grille, the fantastically flecked paint code from PPG, or a combination of the two. The best thing about Blanco’s RX-7 though, has to be the fact that it’s a full, balanced build. The 13B rotary has been built to put out some serious numbers, the fitment is s ylish and functional, and the trunk is occupied by a full sound system install, with even more on the way.

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Kuhl Racing x Artis Nissan GT-R I think everyone and their grandmother has seen this car, especially the silver version that was built a couple years ago now. Whether it was the silver or gold one you saw firs , there’s no doubt that the craftsmanship that went into making a GT-R a rolling art piece is astoundingly admirable, but seeing the car with your eyes is absolutely mind-blowing.

The golden GT-R is striking; a sum of a more aggressive Kuhl Racing body kit with an even more intricate engraving job than its predecessor. The golden boy also has something kicking underneath its gorgeous exterior. Under the hood sits two GTX3076R turbos and 800 horses, while out the back is a custom exhaust system that is finished off with a ooping, full titanium muffler. The perfect marriage of power and beauty.

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Chris Forsberg’s Datsun 280Z

Sitting out like a gold medal in SEMA’s central hall was Chris “The Force” Forsberg’s newest 280Z iteration. Ditching the old over-fenders you may have seen in a few viral drift videos, Forsberg opted for the Carbon Signal carbon fiber G-N sestyle widebody kit. Carbon Signal also fabbed up a new carbon fiber dash or Z as well. During show hours, the hood was always popped, and for good reason.

Sitting snuggly in the bay is an RB26, built up with high end parts and playing host to a fat turbo with an AEM breather at the end. The valve cover, if you’ll notice, is a one-off, as it’s machined out of a solid piece of billet by the crew over at OCD works. The only thing that bothered me about this car were the kids who stopped, dropped their jaws, pointed, and yelled, “Whoa, 2JZ!”

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1 Chasing Js’ 2JZ-powered Datsun 260Z Sporting a Chasing Js spin on the JPS livery over a G -nose conversion and authentic Datsun works flares, this Datsun 260Z is something out of my wildest JDM dreams. With shakotan-meets-racecar styling and perfectly fi ted Work M1 wheels, the entire aesthetic of this car works on every level, but that’s not even the best part.

Where one might expect to find an RB- wap, you’re met with a 2JZ and big single turbo. Sure, some die-hard Nissan enthusiasts may scoff at the id a of taking an engine from outside the family, but if you want to make 1,000 horsepower reliably, sometimes it’s best to venture off the b aten path. That’s right, the 40-year-old classic you see here makes a whopping 1,000 horsepower! Now the wide fenders and big tires make sense, right?

Rob Ida’s Porsche 930

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In a world of widebody RWB builds and Liberty-Walkkitted 997s, Rob Ida’s 930 is a breath of fresh air. Don’t get me wrong – I love RWB Porsches. In fact, they’re some of my favorite cars ever, but this stock-bodied Porsche is

special. Rob Ida, a custom car builder out of New Jersey, has made subtle modifi ations to his car that only the most serious of Porsche fans would notice upon inspection. The front bumper has been pulled back slightly to reduce the 930’s

natural “under-bite,” an option so popular among Porsche enthusiasts at SEMA that it will soon be available to order for your own Porsche 930. Other custom touches include a 356 GT mirror cleverly mounted on the fuel lid, yellow-tinted headlights, and enough goodies in the engine bay to bump power up to a respectable 500 horsepower. Ida built a SEMA show-stopper while still staying true to Porsche’s design mantra: Less is more.

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GET THE FULL PICTURE

instagram.com/PASMAG

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Z Car Garage’s KPGC10 GT-R

Showcased in the OS Giken booth, this Hakosuka is one of a kind, and possibly one of the coolest JDM classics I’ve ever laid eyes on. The engine you see through that peek-a-boo hood is unlike any you’ve seen before. The block is an LD28, similar to the L28 series of engines, save for the fact that it started life as a diesel. The special twin-cam head is where the magic happens. Custom-built by OS GIken, it is one of two “TC24-B1Z” heads installed in the United States, which boasts well in excess of 400 horsepower and screams at an astonishing 10,000 RPM.

4 Vorsteiner’s McLaren 570S

Turbo by Garrett RWB 964 Porsche There were several RWB Porsches at SEMA 2016. In fact, there were more in one place than I have ever seen in my life, but this one was special. Sporting a Martini livery and outlaw-style mismatched front and rear bumpers, this Porsche’s styling pays homage to one of the most iconic racers in its family lineage: The #8 Carrera RSR that won the Targa Florio in 1973. Eye-catching livery aside, this particular RWB stands out with a big wing, deep-dish Work S1 wheels, and an ever-so-naughty exposed turbo setup in the rear. All in, this setup is good for 600 horsepower.

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The perfect use of nice neutral colors, topped off with arefully selected red accents really makes this McLaren stand out, even among the surrounding supercars in the wheel and tire hall. A big chassis-mounted wing and a healthy dose of carbon fiber gi e this dream car a real track-ready look to compliment all that horsepower and prowess.

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GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS TOP 10

REPPIN G CA N A DA F OR R OUND TWO OF THE G LOBAL M ED I A AWARD S S T O R Y B Y Micky Slinger

I don’t know who you are, but just know I’m thankful for you, whoever you are in the SEMA organization that keeps letting me do this. For the second year in a row, I’ve been allowed to represent my home country of Canada and pick out products that fit our modification needs. This is an experience I actually look forward to the most at SEMA because of how much I learn about the new products coming down the line. There’s nothing I love more than being educated by the people shaping the industry with their inventions and improvements. So, after ambling through the packed halls of the New Product Showcase area with a scanner to choose my favorite 10 new products, this is my list. Let’s go through them all, shall we?

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AP Racing

RADI-CAL II BRAKE CALIPER

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AP Racing is a company that I deeply respect for their product development. They don’t just produce a part and go, “I mean, yeah, you could probably track this if you wanted,” they design something that has trickled down from their race-only applications and provide it to the masses with the kind message of, “Drive this hard because that’s how we designed it.” AP’s fir t Radi-CAL (fantastic name, by the way) was an absolute game changer. A big brake system that not only outperforms almost every other kit out there, but is also lighter than the OEM system it replaces is unbelievable, and the Radi-CAL II is here to improve in every aspect its predecessor excelled in.

2. Cooper

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This one actually hit a bit of a personal chord with me. Cooper tire is a company I’ve never been experienced with, but has always been on my radar. One of their major achievements was developing an ultra-high performance tire with a one-G holding capacity in corners, which instantly became a hit with high-horsepower car owners. Now though, Cooper has taken that technology and crammed it into a true high performance, all-season tire: the Zeon RS3-G1. I’ve actually been testing this tire out on my daily driven FR-S and it’s tackled spirited driving, torrential rain, and even light snow like a champion.

This is a tire that can really do it all, and if you’re in the market, I highly recommend it!

3. EcuTek

EVI-BT INTERFACE

EcuTek is becoming more and more synonymous with car tuning, and I believe that’s because of how dead-easy it is to use. Plugging into your ODB and venturing through systems to mount a tune can be a little intimidating, but EcuTek has made their system work with just a few clicks. Now, EcuTek has made living with your new tune even easier. Their EVI-BT Bluetooth system teams up with their ECU Connect app (free from the App or Play Store) to give you monitoring and adjustability from your smartphone. Datalogging, map switching, and live adjustment to traction control, boost, and ignition and fuel is just incredible to me. This is a nobrainer for anyone running a tune on their vehicle.

4. Autodip PLUS

We’ve seen quite a few different paint alternative techniques come and go over the years. With the advent of wrap being as popular as it’s been, I was doubtful that “dipping” would ever become relevant again as a form of changing your car’s appearance. Then Autodip came along. The fir t time I saw Autodip, I was shocked. They market their product as a “sprayable vinyl wrap,” which, with their early product, was spot-on. The new Autodip Plus product though, that’s in a different league. The gloss that this “dip” produces matches high quality paint with no doubts. I feel it’s surpassed a wrap look-alike. With less prep involved, a faster process, the ability to reverse it in about an hour with no damage, and a lower price tag, I’m actually a little worried for the paint guys out there.

5. DSC Sport

ACTIVE SUSPENSION

Let’s be honest, no matter the car and its price tag, there’s a part of all of us that whispers, “It could be lower.” But when you throw coils or bags on a car with adaptive suspension, you lose those driving dynamics. So, is there something out there that retains factory “sport” modes? It turns out that DSC Sport would answer my question at SEMA. The kit pictured here is for an R35 GT-R, and with an optional coilover application, the kit offers plenty of adjustability, while allowing you retain of the OEM active suspension through use of a CAN-integrated system. I’m a huge fan of anything that still lets us fool around with cars, even with the advancements in technology.

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tr.

6.

VIP MODULAR

VRS-17 WHEEL

For a company that’s been there and done that before a lot of others have even come up with an itinerary, it’s so amazing to see VIP Modular still running the game when it comes to new options to make a set of wheels for their customers that can truly be one-of-akind. Recently, VIP Modular started offering hydro-dipping on the lips of their wheels, and this particular one stopped me right in my tracks. On a smoothie-style wheel (who even makes nice smoothies anymore?) they had dipped the step-lip of the VRS-17 with a flo al pattern, which immediately reminded me of my grandmother’s fine china. I kn w for a fact no one is rolling around on actual dinner plates, but I really, really want someone to pull this look off!

10.

7.

RADI8

R8T12 WHEEL

Originating in the UK, they’ve since spread to North America, and most recently, Japan. Instead of just copying a design that’s been done to death, Radi8 are offering some of the most original designs I’ve seen in a long time, as well as giving each design a personality and nickname of its own (i.e. “Sarcastic Ninja” and “Mr. Drama Queen”). I didn’t pick these wheels because I thought they’d look nice on my car, I picked them because of the complexity of the design – the double turbofan paired with the concave center is killer - and the personality that just naturally emanates from them. If you haven’t guessed, I’m already a big fan.

8.

V12LS

LS12 ENGINE

One of my favorite things about attending SEMA every year is the pure genius and ingenuity I’m able to be exposed to. This year, I came across a Camaro behind Ford’s outside presence that made me do a 37-take. Sitting pretty in the engine bay and surrounded by header artwork was an engine I couldn’t identify. Luckily, the owner was more than happy to tell me about it.

The engine is a custom long block V12 (also available in a turn-key), but all of the internals are Chevy LS engine parts! This fantastic idea was thought up by a couple bright engineers from Australia, who later informed me that their beast could produce over 710 horsepower on pump gas with a mild camshaft. I’m so ready to start seeing these pop up in cars all over the world!

9.

HALTECH

IQ3 STREET DISPLAY DASH

For the street racer who’s packing a lot of heat, or just did a big swap, this is for you; all wrapped up in a compact, technologically advanced package. The Haltech IQ3 Street Display Dash lets you view all the vital data you need quickly and easily, all to your spec over 28 available channels on four user-definable pages. New with this unit is the ability to connect to more than 20 different kinds of EFI systems, which is such a headache-saver! For an agreeable price of $849 USD, I think I have to build something serious, just to have an excuse to put one of these dashes to work.

WILWOOD DYNAPRO 6A BIG BRAKE KIT

Something you may not know about me is that I was one of the lucky few to be invited on Mazda’s MX-5 ND press launch. For six hours, I got to bomb around in a new MX-5, and I completely fell in love. With such a capable platform, I was crossing my fingers for the aftermarket to embrace the little guy. Wilwood is one of the companies that’s supported the Miata MX-5 for years, and they’ve finally launched their big brake upgrade for the ND chassis. Being lighter and more capable than the factory options, these should be on anyone’s list who plans to drive their MX-5 as it was meant to be – hard and in the twisties.

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TEST REPORT

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

JL Audio C5 653 Component Review

JL Audio knocks another one out of the park with brilliant design and power delivery.

QUICK SPECS

A

ny avid car audio enthusiast knows that the choice of loudspeakers for your system is perhaps the single most critical decision of the system design. It’s a well-known fact that the speakers you choose make more difference in the final sound of the car tha any other component. For anyone who is looking for true high fidelit loudspeakers, the JL Audio brand is almost always near the top of the list. What began way back in the 1970s as a fun hobby for Jim Birch and Lucio Proni (JL Audio, get it?), grew into one of the world’s most respected audio companies.

While there are a lot of two-way component systems available, we are going to have a look this time at something a bit different: a three-way component system for your car. The JL C5-653

Recommended Power

75 Watts

Sensitivity (2 V/1 M)

89 dB SPL

Frequency Response

50 Hz -25k Hz (-3 dB)

Mounting Depth (approx)

2.54 in. (65 mm)

component system is designed for all high-performance audio enthusiasts who have the locations available for a 6.5-inch subwoofer, a four-inch midrange and a sweet silk dome tweeter.

FEATURES and CONSTRUCTION One of the advantages of a three-way system is the ability to allow the 6.5-inch woofer to be an actual woofer, and not have to compromise it to also cover the upper midrange. In this way, the woofer can be designed for long excursion and improved dynamic performance.

When designing a high-end loudspeaker, it is critical that the mass and compliance specifications are very accurate and consistent from one speaker to the next. For those reasons, the C5-653 system employs cones and suspen-

“THE PASSIVE CROSSOVER NETWORK SUPPLIED WITH THE SYSTEM IS YET ANOTHER BIT OF CLEVERLY DONE ENGINEERING.”

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sion components for the woofer and midrange drivers from famed supplier, Dr. Kurt Müller. Müller’s legendary low-mass cones and butyl rubber surrounds are inherently well damped and allow a less complicated crossover design, which in turn translates into more natural sound. This type of quality doesn’t come cheap, but JL Audio and many of the world’s leading home audio companies believe it’s money well spent. The woofers use cast aluminum baskets and benefit from J ’s patented Elevated Frame Cooling technology, which uses the spider to pump air directly on the windings of the two-layer copper voice coil. High energy strontium ferrite is used for the magnetic materials in both the woofer and the midrange drivers.

The four-inch midranges are designed to fit in multiple loc tions thanks to break-away-style mounting tabs. A nice spacer ring is also provided to prevent the tabs from bending when the speaker is mounted using all four tabs. There has been a considerable amount of thought and installer experi-

ence put into how these speakers mount, and it defini ely shows. The lightweight Kurt Müller cones are mineral-filled polypro ylene with a curvilinear shape.

The tweeter used in the C5-653 system is an edge-driven 19-mm (0.75-inch) silk dome unit, chosen for its smooth character and overall high-frequency balance. It uses Ferrofluid or improved cooling and is powered by a neodymium motor.

The tweeter features a nicely engineered surface and flush-moun mounting fixtures o accommodate any application.

The passive crossover network supplied with the system is yet another bit of cleverly done engineering. Certainly at this level of performance one expects Mylar capacitors and air core inductors, and yes, those are all in place in the critical locations. What really makes this crossover different, however, is the adjustability it can provide. This is where JL Audio’s vast installation experience and understanding of vehicle acoustics comes into play. There are four levels of tweeter output available and three levels of midrange presence adjustment. The installer’s ability of tuning these crossovers to suit the installation and speaker locations goes a long way to delivering the best possible sound for the dollars invested.

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TEST REPORT JL Audio C5 653 JLAudio.com

LISTENING

@JLAudio

@jlaudioinc

/jlaudio

JLAudioInc

FREQUENCY RESPONSE

After building a new set of three-way baffles or my listening room’s comparator, I mounted the C5-653 system with the centers of the woofer, mid, and tweeter on a straight vertical line, keeping the three drivers as close together as possible on the baffle. I then se the crossovers to the indicated reference positions, adjusted the amplifier or a full-range signal, and began a very enjoyable listening session. I experimented with a variety of crossover setting positions, finally settling on what I thought was the best sounding settings for my specific situation. One of my habi s when evaluating the sound of something is to make notes as I listen. Looking back at my notes as I write this review are the words: “natural,” “smooth,” and “pleasant.”

The C5-653 system sounds very good, regardless of the musical genre and listening level. Bass output is strong without being overbearing, and the midrange has a natural, smooth timbre. On a few tracks, like the brilliant acoustic guitar in Stanley Myers’ Cavatina, I found myself wishing for a little bit more top end detail, but overall it’s very good.

This track was recorded in a mission at San Juan Capistrano, and if you have not heard it reproduced on a good system, you owe it to yourself to track it down and give it a listen.

Simply stunning acoustics!

Moving onto other tunes, the bottom end is strong and full, with good definition and detail Plucked bass strings in Glen Miller’s Little Brown Jug sound full and vibrant. The drums and snare are very articulate and well-controlled, even at fairly high volume levels. Even when driven pretty hard, the system never got edgy or harsh sounding, and had some of the most articulate midrange I’ve heard in a while from a car audio speaker. The top end was always clean and sweet sounding with absolutely no edge or brittleness. I’d bet this system would make a pretty darn good bookshelf system for your home with the right cabinets. I know it sounds better than some of the name brand home stuff I hear in the s ores.

Tweeter Levels

FREQUENCY RESPONSE

Midrange Presence Adjustment Example

IMPEDANCE VS FREQUENCY

CONCLUSION At the end of the day, the JL Audio C5653 component system proved to be a very capable, well thought out, and brilliantly executed speaker system. From the expertly crafted components, to the installation friendly mounting options, and the wonderfully adjustable crossover, there simply isn’t much not to like. The system is easily worth every penny of the $799.99 (U.S.) MSRP. You don’t have to take my word for it; just drop into your local JL Audio dealer and audition the system for yourself!

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System Impedance – Free Air

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TEST REPORT

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

Morel Virtus Nano 602 Speaker Review

A High Fidelity speaker with a shallow mounting depth that uses advanced tech to defy all expectations including price!

E

very once in a while you come across a product that simply defies logic and makes you re-think everything. The Morel Virtus Nano 602 shallow-mount speaker system is such a product. First of all, “shallow” doesn’t begin to describe the incredibly thin profile of the 6.5-inch woofer. Think about this: when I mounted the woofer in a 0.75-inch-thick baffle it did no protrude through the back of the baffle. w that’s shallow! The actual mounting depth of the woofer is an incredible 0.67 inches or just 17 mm! In fact, the woofers are so thin that as soon as I unpacked them, I began dialing back my performance expectations. I could not have been more fooled.

"I BEGAN DIALING BACK MY PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS. FEATURES AND CONSTRUCTION According to Casey Thorson, I COULD NOT the COO for Morel America, the HAVE BEEN Virtus Nano component systems MORE FOOLED" were developed over a two-year

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period specifically or applications where an ultra-slim, yet uncompromised high fidelity spea er was needed. These speakers will absolutely fit in any ehicle with a 6.5- or 6.75-inch opening.

The woofer itself is built on a very unique and cleverly designed stamped steel frame. Magnetic energy comes from a neodymium motor assembly that drives a brilliantly conceived “External Voice Coil” (EVC). The 2.1-inch coil is made from “Hexatech” hexagonally-shaped aluminum wire and wound on an aluminum former.

The Hexatech wire has proven to have greater thermal conductivity due to better transfer through the surface area. This in turn creates a high power handling, cooler operating voice coil. To further assist in cooling, the progressivetype spider also has eight radially placed cooling vents in its outer perimeter.

The cone of the Virtus Nano

602 woofer is convex-shaped, which is the opposite of most woofer cones. This shape was selected because it increased the effective radiating area, and testing showed it created improved bass response. The single-piece cone is made of a treated paper composite material and covered in a charcoal gray fabric type of material. A flat ou er edge improves rigidity and maintains the inherently good damping of the paper cone. The surround is butyl rubber and uses a tall, narrow profile or increased cone area while maintaining good excursion.

While the woofer of the system usually grabs fi st attention, the tweeter used in the Virtus Nano system is also something pretty special. The 1.1-inch (28-mm) silk dome low resonance tweeters use a new compact tweeter chassis to allow fitment in o tighter locations. The tweeters also take full advantage of Morel’s Acufl x tech-

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MorelHifi com

QUICK SPECS

Recommended Power

80 Watts

Sensitivity (2 V/1 M)

87.5 dB SPL

Frequency Response

50 Hz -22 kHz (-3 dB)

Mounting Depth (approx)

11/16 in. (17 mm)

FREQUENCY RESPONSE – Tweeter Levels

nology, a specially engineered damping compound that gets applied to the tweeter’s dome.

Tweeters treated to the Acufl x compound can control diaphragm break-up, resulting in a smoother, more natural sounding tweeter.

Even the tweeter grilles have been engineered for the best possible sound. Morel’s Lotus speaker grille technology features a specific pat ern of holes in different shapes and diameters engineered to minimize the “horn effect” (high frequency peak caused by the resonant frequency of multiple same-size holes). Innovative metal processing enabled the construction of a very thin, acoustically transparent grille that has virtually no audible effect while maintaining structural integrity to protect the drivers. The Lotus grilles magnetically connect to the driver and can be either flush- or su face-mounted with parts included in the kit.

The system includes a pair of nicely made passive networks full of high quality components and easy-to-use gold-plated terminal strip style connections. The crossovers are designed to handle much greater power than the speakers themselves, so as to never be a limiting factor in the performance of the system. Unlike many competitive products, the connections are very well marked, and you don’t need a magnifying glass or the eyes of a 10-year-old to read them. Tweeter attenuation is done via an impedance compensation network and there are three possible settings marked in increments of 2 dB. Okay, that’s enough tech talk, let’s get to how they sound.

@MorelHiFi

/MorelHiFi

MorelHifi

output to the reference position, and quickly connected the wiring. Then, armed with a good selection of music, I began what has to be the most surprising and stunning listening session I’ve had in months.

The fi st track I played was The Blues Walk by Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. I was immediately gobsmacked by the amount of mid-bass these shallow woofers delivered. The warmth and mid-bass output of this system easily equals that of any other woofer this size in recent memory. The accuracy of the bass output and lower midrange is uncommonly good as well.

One of my usual tests for a loudspeaker’s sonics is the male spoken voice. The true test of a loudspeaker is for it to disappear and only the person’s voice be apparent. The Morel Virtus Nano’s accomplished this in spades. Another tough test for a speaker system is properly reproducing a choral or harmony vocal recording. One of my favorite sources for this test is The Manhattan Transfer’s A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square. Each voice was easily separated, and could be heard very clearly. This is indeed a real high fidelity s stem, and performs better than some popular home bookshelf systems I have heard.

Overall, the sonics of the system were simply natural and open sounding, as if the performer was standing right there in front of you. No harshness, yet nothing was missing either. Every nuance and bit of air and space in the recording was evident. I ended up staying late and listening to these speakers for several hours longer than normal. From AC/DC to Bach, and Hank Junior to Yello, by the time I had to call it a day, these speakers had moved to the top of my recommended list for anyone needing a two-way 6.5-inch system, regardless of if they had room for much deeper speakers or not. I almost never do this, but I will say that the Morel Virtus Nano 602s are easily among the top fi e best systems of the type I have ever had the pleasure to evaluate - and I’ll remind you that I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years. They are that good.

CONCLUSION You may have noticed that I’m pretty enamored with the Virtus Nano 602s, but with good reason. The speakers are easily the shallowest mount 6.5/6.75-inch speakers I’ve ever seen, and the sonic performance is simply staggering. Now you may be thinking that something this good is going to cost half as much as the car you’ll put them in, but that’s also not the case. At the U.S. MSRP of only $549 a pair, this has got to be some of the best value in high fidelity component y out there right now. Plus the fact they will fit in anything with the right si e hole, or kick panels, or anywhere your creativity comes up with.

LISTENING As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, when I fi st unboxed the woofers, I began to mentally dial back my expectations of the system’s performance. I couldn’t have been more wrong. After getting the system mounted in my listening room’s baffles, I set the eeter FEBRUARY // MARCH 2017

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COMPETITION

tr.

TRENDING

@tunerbattlegrounds

ESSENTIALS LOCATION: Rimouski, QC ENGINE: Mitsubishi 4B11T 2.0L I4 HORSEPOWER: 360 awhp TORQUE: 340 lb-ft SOCIAL MEDIA alexander.chasse.5 @@al3xevox

ENGINE: ∂ Garrett TD05 turbocharger ∂ ETS (Intercooler, hoses, air intake) ∂ Synapse blow-off valve ∂ K&N air filter ∂ NGK spark plugs EXHAUST: ∂ Invidia (Exhaust, neoTi exhaust tip, Q300 cat) ∂ AMS (Up-pipe, down pipe) WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES: ∂ Work Emotion D9R wheels – 19x10.5 +15 (f/r) ∂ General G-Max tires – 275/30/19 (f/r) ∂ Brembo (4-piston calipers (f), 2-piston calipers (r), 13.8inch 2-piece rotors (f), 13-inch 1-piece rotors (r)) CHASSIS/SUSPENSION: ∂ Airrex air suspension ∂ Autopilot V2 management EXTERIOR: ∂ Voltex (Front lip, Type 1700mm wing w/ 275mm stand) ∂ Varis (Side skirts, rear bumper) ∂ Carbon underboard ∂ Rolled fenders INTERIOR: ∂ Tanabe Revel (Gauge pod, AFR gauges) ∂ Recaro seats ∂ Crow harnesses ∂ COBB Accessport V3

ALEXANDRE CHASSÉ 2013 MITSUBISHI EVOLUTION X

BY ADAM GORDON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC-ANDRE BOUFFARD (

SPONSORS: DSG Performance, Dragon Laminates, Airrex Canada, Powdercoat Rimouski, Nextmod, AutoSteeveDuguay, Marc-Andre Bouffard Photographe, Turbo-R-Us

@MAB_O_LANTERN)

JULY 3, 2016 // AUTODROME ST-EUSTACHE, ST-EUSTACHE, QC

#TBGLIVE

WINNER SO CLEAN. SHOW 3.0

H

@soclean.tm

60 %

OF THE POPULAR VOTE

aving once owned a Mitsubishi Eclipse, it was only fitting that Al xandre Chassé kept it in the family. The Evo has been his dream car since the glory days of his Eclipse, so when it came time to sell the old car, he jumped at the chance to own his dream car.

Since then, he has been modifying the car

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where he saw fit. Chassé s original intention was to build a show car, but next year he wants to try his hand at racing. With engine modifications alread underway, he’s off o a good start in that direction.

The overall direction of the Evo build took inspiration from all over, but especially from online build threads. One night, Chassé had a dream about having a built Evo, and that was it.

He started wrenching. With the exception of the car’s paint, he installed and fit e erything himself, choosing parts from brands that blended both affordability and quality for his vision.

Today, this same Evo roams the streets of Quebec, turning heads and bringing joy to its driver. We wish Chassé all the best in future racing seasons!

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COMPETITION

@tunerbattlegrounds

ESSENTIALS LOCATION: Pasco, WA ENGINE: Nissan VQ35DE 3.5L V6 HORSEPOWER: 330 whp TORQUE: 350 lb-ft SOCIAL MEDIA @edgarz33

ENGINE: ∂ Zex Injected wet kit nitrous system ∂ Jim Wolf Pop Charger air filter ∂ Z1 Motorsport “Z Tube” air intake ∂ Skunk2 intake plenum spacer ∂ NGK Iridium IX spark plugs ∂ ZSPEC stainless steel dress-up bolts EXHAUST: ∂ Magnaflow exhaust ∂ Megan Racing (3-1 header, up-pipe, down-pipe) ∂ Silverline angle-cut blast pipes ∂ Agency Power stainless steel race test pipes DRIVETRAIN: ∂ Competition Clutch (Stage 3 6-puck clutch, 25-lb flywheels) WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES: ∂ VIP Modular VX110 wheels – 18x10.5 -16 (f), 18x12 -8 (r) ∂ Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport tires – 255/35/18 (f), 295/35/18 (r) ∂ Carbotech XP10 brake pads

EDGAR CABRERA 2004 NISSAN 350Z

BY ADAM GORDON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON WARBURTON (

@WARBVRTON)

JULY 9, 2016 // BELLEVUE COLLEGE, BELLEVUE, WA

#TBGLIVE

WINNER STANCEWARS

E

@stancewars

58 %

OF THE POPULAR VOTE

dgar Cabrera has regarded Nissan’s 350Z as his dream car since he was younger, so it’s only fitting that he was able o build one after all that time dreaming. He knew it was the right platform for him after taking note of the wide variety of aftermarket support. Seeing that there were many possible looks to go with on the platform, he started building his vision.

His high school auto body class gave him the skills he needed to work with, which he practiced on his 1992 Infiniti G20 that he had whil

attending class. While that car remains his daily driver, the 350Z is a serious project. As daunting as a project of this magnitude may look, Cabrera is happy to tell us that he faced no particularly harsh challenges in the build process. “I always thought a step ahead so once I got to [a problem], I had a solution”, he says.

Styling took inspiration from the Rocket Bunny kit’s debut, with a few unique tweaks of his own to make it his. Cabrera hopes to keep this build functional amidst all its show-worthy goodies.

In addition to taking home trophies at shows, he still wants to be able to take it to the track and enjoy it the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

That’s a sentiment that resonates with all of us.

He leaves our audience with some advice for building: “Have love and be patient with the build.

The more patient [you are], the better the build will come out”. Wise words.

CHASSIS/SUSPENSION: ∂ Ksport (Struts w/ air bags, airbag system) ∂ Polyurethane bushings ∂ Megan Racing front upper control arms ∂ Enjuku (rear toe arms, camber arms) EXTERIOR: ∂ Rocket Bunny (Front bumper, fenders, front splitter) ∂ Crown Carbon Crafting rear over-fenders ∂ Nismo side skirts ∂ Carbon fiber rear visor ∂ INGS LX Sport rear half-spoiler ∂ Infiniti G35 rear mud guards ∂ Battle Aero wing brackets ∂ NRG carbon fiber wing ∂ Top Secret (Carbon fiber rear diffuser, rear bumper diffuser) ∂ Rear blinking brake lights INTERIOR: ∂ Nismo carbon fiber shift knob Nardi Classic wood steering wheel ∂ Nismo floor mats AUDIO/MULTIMEDIA: Sony XAV-64BT 6.1-inch touchscreen head unit, Rockford Fosgate (Prime R500x1d amp, 10-inch subwoofers (2)), Custom sub box under strut tower, Optima Red Top battery

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COMPETITION

tr.

TRENDING

@tunerbattlegrounds

ESSENTIALS LOCATION: San Diego, CA ENGINE: Honda K24Z3 2.4L I4 HORSEPOWER: 201 whp TORQUE: 172 lb-ft

ENGINE: ∂ CT-Engineering (Supercharger kit, intake housing, 3.15-inch high performance pulley, belt tensioner) ∂ Eaton M62 blower ∂ 780cc injectors ∂ Hondata Flashpro ∂ Mugen oil filter ∂ Nos (Direct port dry 35 shot w/ purge, 10-lb bottle) ∂ Injen short ram intake ∂ KTuned (Fuel rail, fuel gauge, fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, 4 bar MAP sensor, dip stick, oil cap, coil pack cover) ∂ Alaniz Racing lower coolant adapter ∂ Mishimoto radiator w/ slim fan ∂ Universal overflow coolant reservoir ∂ Downstar (VTEC solenoid cover, spikes, dress-up hardware) ∂ Deatsch Werks DW300 fuel pump EXHAUST: ∂ RV6 Performance (Pre-cat delete, downpipe, test pipe) ∂ Megan Racing (Cat-back exhaust, universal oil catch can) WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES: ∂ Work VS-XX wheels – 18x9.5 (f), 18x10.5 (r) ∂ Downstar (Lug nuts, valve stem caps) 2008 Acura TL Type-S Brembo 4-piston calipers (f) ∂ R1 Concepts (E-line brake rotors, performance pads)

IRA ALANI FOUQUETTE MUÑOZ 2009 ACURA TSX

BY ADAM GORDON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHAN PYLE (

@LIFEINTHEOTHERLANE)

JULY 16, 2016 // ANAHEIM CONVENTION CENTER, ANAHEIM, CA

#TBGLIVE

WINNER SPOCOM: ANAHEIM

I

@spocom

56 %

OF THE POPULAR VOTE

ra Alani Fouquette Muñoz grew up in Playas de Tijuana, a place known for low-riders and slammed custom classics. When he was in high school in Orange County, the late 90’s Hondas caught his attention and turned him into a genuine import fan. He quickly grew to love Japanese sedans, and it didn’t take long before he bought one of his own.

In 2009, Muñoz went down to his lo-

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cal Honda dealership in North Carolina and purchased a brand new Acura TSX fresh off th truck. He noticed that building a newer car was a bit of a challenge, especially with minimal aftermarket support, so he decided to take the road less traveled.

Blending his upbringing with his current passion, he decided to combine low-rider style with his new-found love for Japanese sedans and build a full blown show car that would take inspiration from both low-rider culture and JDM style.

With a handful of JDM goods from the Japanese-spec Accord transplanted, he added that low-rider feel like engraved parts, gorgeous fla e paint, and classic pin striping. This is one unique TSX that blends the best of both worlds into a show-stopping work of art.

CHASSIS/SUSPENSION: ∂ Airrex Air suspension (System struts, digital air management, wireless remote) ∂ Viair 444C air compressors (2) ∂ Custom 2-gallon air tank setup (4) ∂ Megan Racing (Front camber arms, rear camber arms, rear traction arms, rear toe arms) ∂ Ultra Racing (Front upper strut bar, rear lower tie bar, rear lower sway bar, rear lower brace bars) ∂ Auto Power (Roll street bar, center bar) EXTERIOR: ∂ Mugen (Front bumper, license plate bolts) ∂ Modulo (Side skirts, rear bumper, rear spoiler) ∂ JDM Honda Accord (headlights, power folding mirrors) ∂ Euro rear fog light ∂ Honda trunk emblem ∂ Nokya white (DRLs, fog light bulbs) ∂ LED license plate light ∂ Shaved roof antenna ∂ Pin striping by Jonathan Mercado INTERIOR: ∂ Bride Cuga style racing seats ∂ Custom seat brackets ∂ Reupholstered (Door panels, front arm rest, shift boot, seats) ∂ Cut and engraved door sills ∂ JDM Honda Accord components ∂ Euro Accord floor mats ∂ RichWerks ECU mount ∂ Broadway 300mm rear-view mirror AUDIO/MULTIMEDIA: ∂ JL Audio (W7 12-inch subwoofer, 1000/1 Mono subwoofer amp, 400/4 amp) SPONSORS: AutoFashion USA, CT-Engineering Falken, Megan Racing, Meguiar’s R1 Concepts, RichieWerks, RV6Performance, South Side Customs

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COMPETITION

@tunerbattlegrounds

ESSENTIALS LOCATION: Wahnapitae, ON ENGINE: Honda L15A 1.5L I4 HORSEPOWER: 109 (est.)

SOCIAL MEDIA Joel.Quesnel @crazyquesnel

ENGINE: ∂ DC Sports cold air intake EXHAUST: ∂ Striaght pipe exhaust WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES: ∂ Fast Kimura wheels – 17x9 +20 (f/r) ∂ Falken Azenis tires – 205/40/17 (f/r) CHASSIS/SUSPENSION: ∂ B&G 2-inch lowering springs EXTERIOR: ∂ Gloss black hood wrap ∂ Gloss black painted roof ∂ Purple spike quickrelease fender clips ∂ EZ Lip front and sides ∂ JDM wiper mod ∂ Custom retrofitted headlights w/ Morimoto D2S 3.0, Xb35 quick-fire ballasts and colorchanging demon eyes INTERIOR: ∂ White steering wheel ∂ White shift knob

JOEL QUESNEL 2008 HONDA FIT SPORT

BY ADAM GORDON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL QUESNEL (

AUDIO/MULTIMEDIA: ∂ Pioneer (7-inch head unit, TS-G1645R speakers) ∂ MTX Jackhammer 12-inch subwoofers (2) ∂ Power Acoustik 4500W amp SPONSORS: Sudbury Tirez and Wheelz, Sudbury Custom Auto, North American Wraps

@CRAZYQUESNEL)

AUGUST 27, 2016 // LEE PARK, NORTH BAY, ON

#TBGLIVE

WINNER PART SOURCE CHARITY CAR AND BIKE SHOW

T

52 %

OF THE POPULAR VOTE

he Honda Fit you see here isn’t Joel Quesnel’s fi st. After owning a 2007 base model for fi e years, he noticed how good the Fit Sport looked with skirts and a spoiler. From that moment on, he knew his next car would be the Fit Sport, and it wasn’t long before he purchased the 2008 Sport Fit that you see here.

The uniqueness of the platform was a big factor in his decision to build the car for show

and audio. “The best part about driving this car is that everyone notices its uniqueness and it just motivates me to keep modifying it,” he writes. He takes pride in using the vehicle to show what he is capable of as an individual.

The biggest challenge for Quesnel while building was not knowing where to start. “Having a car that was rarely modified was one thing bu not knowing where to start was another,” he tells us. However, with a little time and experimentation, he figured out what he had o do to build the car for himself. Despite the challenges, says the reactions to a modified Fit ma e it all worth while.

Quesnel emphasizes the important of building a car for yourself, and for your own personal taste, and extends his thanks to his friends who helped him get to where he is today through automotive knowledge.

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COMPETITION

tr.

TRENDING

@tunerbattlegrounds

ESSENTIALS LOCATION: Winnipeg, MB ENGINE: Subaru EJ25 2.5L H4 HORSEPOWER: 300 (est.)

TORQUE: 300 lb-ft SOCIAL MEDIA keith.jose.77 @keithjose_

EXHAUST: ∂ Invidia (Q300 w/ quad titanium burnt tips, down-pipe) WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES: ∂ Cosmis Racing XT-206R wheels – 18x11 +8 (f/r) ∂ Falken Azenis tires – 265/35/18 (f/r) EXTERIOR: ∂ GReddy front lip ∂ S206 side skirts ∂ 12-piece Volkommendesign widebody fenders ∂ Perrin (Spoiler riser kit, spoiler lip extension) ∂ Galvez Customs (Front splitter, side splitters, rear diffuser) ∂ Blacked-out headlights ∂ Blue Batmobile taillight overlays ∂ Gloss Gold Metallic vinyl wrap INTERIOR: ∂ Interior trim wrapped black SPONSORS: Airlift Performance

KEITH JOSE

2010 SUBARU WRX STI

BY ADAM GORDON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY BRIAN (

@JEREMYBRIAN_)

JULY 9, 2016 // RED RIVER EXHIBITION PARK, WINNIPEG, MB

#TBGLIVE

WINNER DRIVEN

K

@drivenshow

83 %

OF THE POPULAR VOTE

eith Jose started building cars with his 1995 Toyota Celica, and soon caught the modification bug. It wasn’t long be ore he fell in love with the Subaru STI’s looks and sound.

Soon enough, that rumble took hold of him, and he purchased his 2010 Subaru WRX STI. Jose’s original plan was to keep the mods to a minimum, and just make it look tasteful. We all

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know how that story goes. It was only a matter of time before the car was on its way from daily driver to full-blown neck-breaker. By now, Jose wanted to push the limits with the car’s design.

A Volkommendesign widebody coupled with some S206 goodies and a GReddy front lip give this car a real racecar look.

Jose tells us he has his cousins in his local car scene to thank for his obsession. Seeing them wrench on their cars and build to their desires inspired him to start doing the same. It was because of this inspiration that he decided to push the envelope and create something as unique as his Subaru. He also thanks the Garage106 crew, a group of heavy hitters from the Winnipeg area, including Anthony Deguzman and Benji Tran, two of our previous TBGLIVE champions.

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COMPETITION

@tunerbattlegrounds

ESSENTIALS LOCATION: Old Bridge, NJ ENGINE: Honda C30A 3.0L V6 HORSEPOWER: 370 (est.)

TORQUE: 270 lb-ft (est.)

ENGINE: ∂ Comptech (Supercharger, intake manifold, fuel rail, fuel pressure regulator) ∂ K&N air filter ∂ Denso Iridium spark plugs ∂ Coilpack distributor EXHAUST: ∂ Pride (Exhaust, header, up-pipe, down-pipe, exhaust tips, test pipes) ∂ Science of Speed high-flow cats DRIVETRAIN: ∂ Exedy (Hyper single stage 3 clutch, flywheels) WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES: ∂ Advan RZDF wheels – 18x8 +37 (f), 19x10 +35 (r) ∂ Falken Azenis FK453 tires – 215/35/18 (f), 275/30/19 (r) ∂ StopTech (4-piston calipers (f/r), 328mm 2-piece slotted rotors (f/r)) ∂ Braided brake lines ∂ Motul RBF600 racing brake fluid CHASSIS/SUSPENSION: ∂ KW Clubsport coilovers w/ adjustable dampers and top mounts

MARBY ENRIQUEZ 1992 ACURA NSX

BY ADAM GORDON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VLAD SHURIGIN (

@ZUUMY)

JULY 30, 2016 // GREATER PHILADELPHIA EXPO CENTER, OAKS, PA

#TBGLIVE

WINNER TUNER EVOLUTION

B

@tunerevo

53 %

OF THE POPULAR VOTE

uilding cars seems to run in Marby Enriquez’s family. Whenever he came home from school to see his brothers working on their car or taking delivery of new parts, his affinity or wrenching became stronger. “I guess you can say my family has speed in their blood,” he laughs.

After working on some cars in high school and getting his hands dirty with his own 1989 240SX with an SR20DET swap, he gained enough expertise to move on to the next big project. Fast forward to today, and Enriquez has his very own Acura NSX. His love for the NSX is two-fold. For

one, he loved that the Acura NSX was the legend of the Honda wheelhouse. Supercar performance at a reasonable price – what’s not to love?

Secondly, it was influenced y time spent playing Gran Turismo with friends, racing in endurance races with the car.

A carefully selected bunch of modification helps his Gloss White wrapped NSX stand out, even among the supercars. He attributes the relative ease and quality of the build to quality parts. “I didn’t want to go cheap. I’ve learned that from past mistakes,” he says. “Go big or go home.

You get what you pay for.” We couldn’t agree more.

While his original intention was to build the car for racing, Enriquez has found himself attending lots of car shows, but rest assured this car still gets driven the way it’s supposed to. He extends a heartfelt thank-you to his family, friends, and his sponsors Wrap Specialists, JDMotoring, and MP Built.

EXTERIOR: ∂ Downforce (Body kit, rear valence, carbon fiber extended side vents, Type R carbon fiber wing w/ third brake light, carbon fiber side splitters, carbon fiber rear diffuser) ∂ Gloss White vinyl wrap ∂ 5K HIDs INTERIOR: ∂ Blox shift knob ∂ Science of Speed black mesh/carbon shift boot ∂ Turbo Smart boost gauge ∂ AEM wide band (2) ∂ Custom interior panel for double DIN radio AUDIO/MULTIMEDIA: ∂ Pioneer NEX-8100 head unit ∂ Kicker (8-inch subwoofer, amplifier, mid-range speakers, tweeters) ∂ Odyssey battery ∂ Comptech Prelude alternator SPONSORS: Wrap Specialties, MP Built, JDMotoring

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COMPETITION

tr.

TRENDING

@tunerbattlegrounds

ESSENTIALS LOCATION: Hacienda Heights, CA ENGINE: Subaru EJ25 2.5L H4 SOCIAL MEDIA Salvador.arriaga @Sal_StiProjec @sal_stiproject

ENGINE: ∂ Grimmspeed (TMIC, aluminum Y-pipe) ∂ COBB (SF intake, fuel pressure regulator, top feed 1000cc injectors, Accessport) ∂ AEM high-flow fuel pump EXHAUST: ∂ COBB 3-inch stainless steel down-pipe WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES: ∂ Volk TE37SL wheels – 18x9 +45 (f/r) ∂ Nitto NT555 tires – 255/35ZR18 (f/r) ∂ Brembo (4-piston calipers, 12.8-inch one-piece slotted rotors (f)) R1 Concepts Premier Series slotted rotors (r) ∂ Braided lines ∂ Motul RBF600 ∂ Hawk HP Plus pads CHASSIS/SUSPENSION: ∂ Ohlins struts and springs (f/r) ∂ Whiteline (22mm sway bar, urethane bushings) ∂ RSR lower control arms

SALVADOR ARRIAGA 2015 SUBARU STI

BY ADAM GORDON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAFAEL LEAL (

@NO_TOFU86)

JULY 23, 2016 // IRWINDALE EVENT CENTER, IRWINDALE, CA

#TBGLIVE

WINNER 724 RACE WARS

S

@officia acewars

52 %

OF THE POPULAR VOTE

alvador Arriaga wasn’t always a Subaru guy. He used to be a die-hard Honda fan until the day he test-drove the Subaru STI. After learning of the safety rating of the Subaru (for his kids), there was no turning back. Despite being a long-time Honda fan, this STI is Arriaga’s fi st full-on build for himself.

Growing up, he always wanted to have a “race car” for himself, but as many of us know, starting a family can often put the kibosh on personal toys. Thankfully, the Subaru came along at the right time, he tells us. Of course, having the fam-

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ily means he needs to control himself when he feels the urge to splurge on car parts. “I include my spouse in every major decision which helps keep me level headed. She has been a major supporter from the beginning,” he says. “She will be the fi st to tell me I’m crazy.”

Despite family obligations, Arriaga is able to take his car to the next level. It has even garnered the attention of APR Performance. Since testing their brake duct system on his car, they have become a full time sponsor of the build, which is seen in the plethora of APR parts. Like many die-hard enthusiasts, Arriaga places a strong emphasis on quality parts.

He parts with some advice for aspiring builders. “Building is addicting. Once you get the bug it’s hard to shake. Don’t let anyone tell you what does and doesn’t go on your car - unless they pay for your car. Be modest; there is no need to over do it. Take your time. Enjoy it.” Well said.

EXTERIOR: ∂ Grill Craft MX-Series (Hood insert, upper grille, lower grille) ∂ APR (GTC300 adjustable wing, carbon fiber front air dam, carbon fiber bumper canards, carbon fiber exhaust heat shield, carbon fiber license plate backing, carbon fiber bumper skirts, carbon fiber side rocker extensions) ∂ Auxbeam V-Series 32-inch 180W combo straight RGB 5D LED light bar INTERIOR: ∂ AEM gauges SPONSORS: APR Performance, Premium Auto Styling, R1 Concepts, 9K Racing, Harbor Tires, Signature Wax, Peddal Commander

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2017

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INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW KAPPA PERFECT COMPONENT SYSTEMS

DEFINING THE STANDARD FOR COMPONENT SPEAKERS. AGAIN. What happens when leading audio engineers with world-class resources develop uncompromising component speaker systems without cost constraints? Audio perfection. Introducing Kappa Perfect, Infinity’s flagship line of super-accurate, super-high performance speakers. Kappa Perfect component speakers deliver high power handling, high SPL capability, and unparalleled response. They also feature high-end industrial design and available three-way configuration.

With just the flick of a switch, you can transform a 2-way system into a 3-way system by adding the Kappa Perfect midrange speaker. Any audio company can aspire to perfection. But only one with Infinity’s engineering, manufacturing and testing resources can achieve it.

© 2016 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Infinity is a trademark of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries. Features, specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice.

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F E AT U R E

THE ISSUE

PRANCING H O R S E

YOU PUT THE FERRARI IN THE 86 AND YOU SHAKE IT ALL UP

D R I F T I N G

EIGHTY

6IX S T O R Y B Y Micky Slinger P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y Brian McGee

When you think “JDM supercar,” visions of Supras, GT-Rs and RX-7s probably dance around in your head. You’re probably not fantasizing about A Scion FR-S (“Toyota GT86” abroad, and now “Toyota 86” in North America after Scion’s demise) with its burbling two-liter flat-four.

Sure, you could swap in a turbo’d 2JZ or an all-American LS, but that’s been done a few times.

Ryan Tuerck knows all about swapped 86s, as he currently owns two: one personal and one business, both with a 2JZ under the hood. He's Since added a THird to his stable.

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PRANCING H O R S E

YOU PUT THE FERRARI IN THE 86 AND YOU SHAKE IT ALL UP

D R I F T I N G

EIGHTY

F E AT U R E

6IX THE ISSU E

O

Other than being a Top 10 professional drifter, Ryan has always had it in his head that he’d own a certain kind of engine and swap it into something unexpected. With his most recent project, he’s come pretty damn close, and built his own JDM supercar.

“It started with a dream of mine to have a Formula One engine and put a Formula One engine into something in general,” he recalls. “This is the next best thing. It’s a high-revving 4.6-liter V8 with a flat-plan crank that sounds incredible, and it makes enough power to have a blast. Why not?”

That’s right, he’s gone and put a Ferrari 458 Italia engine into a Toyota 86, and came up with a fantastic name for it, too: GT4586.

Now, where does one snag a Ferrari engine? While you can probably sell organs for one on the black market, sometimes it’s just as easy as knowing someone. In this case, Huddy Racing's own Huddy had a close friend who had recently crashed their 458. The front end was crunched, but the engine and drivetrain were fine, so uerck didn’t think twice in snapping it up for something special.

The platform of choice was a no-brainer as well. Given Tuerck’s affinity or the ZN6 chassis, it was only natural that he would source an 86. It was also natural that the shell and engine would head to Huddy Racing, where teardown, prep, and fabrication happened immediately.

Without a Formula Drift rulebook to keep them in line, the crew at Huddy were able to go nuts on the custom roll cage and extensive chassis bracing. Roll cage tubing is actually being run through the firewall, o the front strut towers, and then triangulated back to the firewall. All of this xtra bracing allows suspension to be setup in the most consistent way possible. This isn’t just Tuerck’s drift car with a Ferrari engine in it – this is a whole different beast.

That being said, the balancing and weight of the car isn’t far off from the 2J -equipped ones that Tuerck is used to. The V8 is a lightweight all-aluminum block, and unlike the 2JZs in the competition and street cars, the Ferrari F136 doesn’t have a huge Garrett turbo hanging off it, so, even if there are two more cylinders and 1.6 more liters of displacement, the weight and balance of the car is fairly similar, if not a little lighter.

Speaking of the horse heart, that was the next thing to be worked into the 86’s body. Mounted front-to-back and side-to-side, the Ferrari powerplant is tilted just so the throttle bodies are cutting through the windshield wiper tray (don’t worry, Tuerck uses a ton of Rain-X). Having

"IT’S A HIGH-REVVING 4.6-LITER V8 WITH A FLAT-PLANE CRANK THAT SOUNDS INCREDIBLE , AND IT MAKES ENOUGH POWER TO HAVE A BLAST"

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THE ISSU E

the dual throttle bodies pointed outwards, towards the front of the car, would not only look ridiculous, but also wouldn’t let Huddy Racing showcase their fabrication genius.

One piece of said genius is their custom induction box that sits just under the dash.

Inside the big, shiny breather sit two highfl w air fil ers, sourcing air for the Italian V8, which are directly inhaling air from inlets integrated into each front fender.

The custom louvering done on each Rocket Bunny V1 wide fender isn’t just for looks, it actually channels air towards the integrated inlet at the rear of the fender, which is then fed through piping that travels through the firewall and in o the induction box in the cabin. It’s an incredible system.

Incoming air is also channeled up and over the car by a carbon fiber roof scoo that has been nicely fit in-bet een the OEM aero moldings. The captured air is directed through a hole cut into the lower part of the windshield and into the trunk, where the cooling system lives. The rear-mounted cooling system is made up of a Mishimoto circle track radiator, dual-pass oil cooler, and twin 12-inch race fans, pulling around 5,600-cubic-feet-per-minute of hot air,

F E AT U R E

THE FERRARI POWERPLANT IS TIL TED JUST SO THE THROTTLE BODIES ARE CUTTING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TRA Y combined, which is then shot out of the cooling holes cut into the rear of the 86.

A huge part of the Ferrari 458 that Tuerck and the Huddy team wanted to retain is its signature F1-style wail, and that could only be replicated in the GT4586 if the headers made for the engine were very similar in terms of size, length, and design of the ones that were made in Maranello. The crew at Huddy studied all of these factors closely and came up with a bumper-exit exhaust design to match the length of the original headers. Branching off of the block, our TIG-welded 304 stainless pipes run along the length of the red engine before meeting at a Vibrant Performance collector on each side, which then turn into some seriously fat pipes that meet dead center and are welded together into an X-pipe. After the cross, each pipe exits through the bumper on either side in a titanium-tipped muffler that sp s flame when annoyed.

Taking the approximate 580 horsepower (after a tune from John Reed Racing was

applied to the Motec M142 ECU) from the Ferrari engine and putting it to the ground is a drivetrain system made of some of the finest names in the business. The transmi sion is a fi e-speed sequential unit from Fortin, which is usually thrown in 1,000-horsepower trophy trucks, that features a flat-shift function, so uerck can put his foot to the floo , grab a gear, and melt some tires. That tire-melting power is transferred through a Driveshaft Shop aluminum driveshaft to a two-way Tomei differential, spinning the rear Fifteen52 wheels.

PRANCING H O R S E

YOU PUT THE FERRARI IN THE 86 AND YOU SHAKE IT ALL UP

D R I F T I N G

EIGHTY

6IX

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ESSENTIALS Toyota GT86 DRIVER > Ryan Tuerck BUILT BY > Gumout, Huddy Racing, Ryan Tuerck, 2M Autowerks LOCATION > San Diego, CA ENGINE > Ferrari F136 4.6L V8 HORSEPOWER > 580 - 600 hp (est.)

ENGINE + Mishimoto (circle track radiator, dual-pass oil cooler, 12-inch race fans (2)) + DeatschWerks (DWFF160 fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, FPR gauge, fuel pump) + Optima Yellow Top battery + Fuel Safe Spectra-Lite 10-gallon fuel cell + Vibrant Performance (oil catch cans, hoses, fittings) + Huddy Racing oil tank + Gumout performance additives + VP Racing MS109 race fuel + Motec M142 ECU + Unicorn Garage (engine harness, chassis harness) + John Reed Racing custom tunee

EXHAUST Huddy Racing custom (headers, exhaust system) + Vibrant Performance fabrication components

DRIVETRAIN Tomei 2-way differential + Driveshaft Shop (aluminum driveshaft, axles, stub axles) + Fortin 5-speed sequential transmission

WHEELS+TIRES+BRAKES Fifteen52 Penta 3-piece wheels – 18x9 -3 (f), 18x10 -22 (r) + Hankook RS3 tires – 245/40 R18 (f), 265/40 R18 (r) + Brembo big brake kit + Nameless Performance handbrake

CHASSIS+SUSPENSION Huddy Racing (roll cage, chassis bracing) + BC Racing DR Series coilovers + Wisefab (suspension kit (f/r), steering angle kit)

The Fifteen52 wheels mentioned are actually the very fi st set of their new Penta threepiece design, cut fresh for Tuerck right before SEMA, and feature a little extra lip and concave in the rear to accompany the massive -22 offset. Brushed gold in the center with a polished lip to pay homage to ‘Rarri racers of old and wrapped in lightly-stretched Hankook RS3s, the wheels are ready to do work sideways in conjunction with a full suspension kit from Wisefab.

Ferrari tie-ins don’t stop there either. David Mendoza and his artists over at 2M Autowerks sprayed down the 86 in such a vibrant shade of red with a glass-like finish that it ould make any prancing horse blush.

The interior has also been sprayed in a drift staple color that Tuerck refers to as “EastCoast-style gray.” And with the interior now feeling like home, Tuerck decided to furnish it with a Recaro Profi Spa racing seat Takata six-point harness, and a big ol’ Nameless Performance Handbrake. Cozy.

At the end of the day, this is something that couldn’t have happened without the immense support of all involved, and Tuerck acknowledges that it really couldn’t have been done without his primary sponsor, Gumout.

“I’m super lucky to have a

supporter like Gumout that is down to support my wild ideas and push the limits of engine swaps,” he says, grinning. “This is something that I’ve thought about for a long time, and didn’t know how it would happen, but it’s happening, so I’m stoked!”

From start to finish in jus under fi e months, Tuerck and friends rushed the car from Huddy HQ to SEMA, with a literal

minute to spare before load-in closed up for the show. Unfortunately, the hood was damaged in some early test driving, but putting a hood on all of that hard work, dedication and ingenuity would be a crime. Plus, as the thousands of showgoers the GT4586 drew during the course of SEMA would agree, it looks way better on Instagram like that.

EXTERIOR 2M Autowerks custom paintjob + Huddy Racing x 2M Autowerks custom Rocket Bunny V1 widebody + Rocket Bunny GT wing + Huddy Racing custom (roof scoop, rear diffuser)

INTERIOR Motec (PDM15 keypad) + Takata Race 6 6-point harness + Recaro Profi Spa racing seat

SPONSORS Gumout, Black Magic, Huddy Racing, Donut Media, BC Racing Suspension, Optima Batteries, Vibrant Performance, 2M Autowerks, Fifteen52, Brembo, Mishimoto, Wisefab, DeatschWerks, Driveshaft Shop, Nameless Performance, Recaro, Takata, Fuel Safe

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PRANCING H O R S E

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D R I F T I N G

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F E AT U R E

THE ISSUE

R O TA R Y AT H E A R T

K Y L E M O H A N ’ S M A Z D A M X- 5 N D D R I F T C A R STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY

K

yle Mohan is a Mazda guy.

From the Mazda FC3S drift car he drove to a fourth-place finish i Long Beach back in 2008, to the Mazda SE3P RX-8 drift car he piloted through the last seven seasons of Formula Drift, Mohan is one of the last rotary-powered Mazda guys in a professional drifting world that has been overrun by small-block-V8swapped drift cars. As the main engine builder at MAZDATRIX, Mohan knows the ports and passages of the rotary engine like the back of his hand, and has built several 1,000-plushorsepower rotary motors over the past several years.

When “Mad” Mike Whiddett rocketed back onto the Formula Drift circuit with his RADBUL NC chassis Miata in 2015, Mohan knew he wanted to show off hi ability to compete in a high-grip short-chassis car, and got to work sourcing and building his ND chassis. Unknown to Mohan at the time, Whiddett facelifted his NC chassis car with the ND headlights and taillights at

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Jacob Leveton

the fi st event of the season, while Mohan’s car is a purebred ND MX-5. Let’s dive into what makes Mohan’s car tick!

Mohan took delivery of the chassis in late December, with just three months to get the car prepped and ready for the fi st round of Formula Drift in early April. Mohan and crew chief, Matt Hill, along with some extra elbow grease from his wife and father, stripped the car down, and started fabricating the roll cage. All the creature comforts of your usual road-going car

AS THE MAIN ENGINE BUILDER A T MAZDATRIX, MOHAN KNOWS THE PORTS AND PASSAGES OF THE ROTARY ENGINE LIKE THE BACK OF HIS HAND were ditched, and a businessonly approach was taken with the interior. A set of Sparco racing seats were used in conjunction with the roll cage fabrication process to find the prope seating position, while a Driven steering wheel was mounted to a custom steering column to al-

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low Mohan to point this weapon.

The entire dashboard was recreated in aluminum by Built2Apex, a company Mohan started to market some of his custom drifting parts, with a Racepak dash display replacing the traditional gauge cluster. All controls are handled via a custom center console, which has switches for all necessary engine functions, including “rockets.”

The fun part of the car comes in with the engine bay.

If you peek under the hood, notably missing is the 2.0L SkyActiv four-cylinder motor that comes from the Mazda fac-

tory, replaced by a MAZDATRIX three-rotor engine hand-built by Mohan himself. While the specifics of the motor are kept under close wraps, Mohan tells us that the porting, polishing, and WPCtreated parts are all available to customers of MAZDATRIX, and that he’s hand-built several similar three-rotor engines pushing over 1,000 horsepower for his clients.

Mohan paired the triple-rotor engine with a Turbonetics C72 turbocharger, with a supporting Turbonetics blow-off valve and wastegate to handle excess pressure. Air enters the engine after passing through the CX Racing intercooler via a 90-mm single butterfly throttl

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body. Mohan and his team fabricated the V-mount system for the intercooler, with a pair of Mishimoto double-pass aluminum oil coolers and a CX Racing power steering cooler taking advantage of the fresh air entering the engine bay. Notably missing from the engine bay is the radiator, which was shifted to the trunk area of the car with a 16-inch Mishimoto puller fan mounted on the bottom. Many drift cars relocate the radiator to the trunk area for the weight balance advantages, as well as to try and shelter the radiator from contact in the event of a collision between cars or with the wall.

One of the most innovative areas of the car is the fueling system, which has been converted to run on 115-octane Ignite American Ethanol racing fuel. The American-made ethanol fuel burns much cooler than leaded gasoline, and is much more consistent between batches of fuel, which makes tuning much easier. The fuel is held in a Fuelsafe fuel cell in the trunk, which holds a Walbro 740 fuel pump and feeds the gas through a Radium Engineering triple-pump sump tank before heading towards the engine bay. A CX Racing fuel rail is controlled by a Radium Engineering fuel pressure regulator, while six Deka 2,200-cc injectors spray each rotor housing with the high-octane fuel mixture.

All the fueling is controlled by a Haltech Elite ECU, with an occasional shot of Nitrous used to help spool the turbo as needed.

The switch to ethanol fuel is becoming more popular on the Formula Drift grid, with the majority of drivers now utilizing ethanol in their engines.

Suspension is one of the most important areas of any drift car, and the short wheelbase of the ND Miata creates plenty of challenges to make the car competitive. Mohan turned to longtime partners in

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Eibach and Megan Racing to put together a coilover and swaybar combination that would work for the new chassis. A set of external reservoir Eibach Pro R2 coilovers based off the NC M -5 are mounted at each corner, and a custom swaybar setup utilizing Megan Racing end links and a Speedway Engineering sway bar control the side-to-side movement. Control arms were sourced from Wisefab Engineering, who had an off-the-shelf solution that fit the timelin of this build. The steering rack was stitched together with an FD3S rack and an MR2 electric power steering pump to make the most of the new suspension geometry. Overall, Mohan has more than 65 degrees of steering angle, which is required to keep up in the ever-evolving sport of Formula Drift.

Over the past few seasons, forward grip has been one of the most important elements of winning tandem battles, and was a huge motivating factor in Mohan switching to the MX-5 chassis. All the horsepower in the world is useless if it can’t be put to the ground, and Mohan utilizes 265/35 R18 GT Radial SX2 tires to match the power to the pavement, while 245/40 R17 sizing handles the steering inputs in front. The tires are wrapped around XXR’s 527 model of forged wheels, in 17x8.5-inch sizing up front and 18x10 sizing out back. Those wheels are spun by the Winters quick change rear end, which is motivated by the Jerico fourspeed gear box that sits just below the driver in the center of the car. With an Exedy Racing carbon triple-disc clutch and racing flywheel making the fin connection between the transmission and the engine, Mohan has full control of the power output at all times. Despite the short wheel base, Mohan says his new MX-5 chassis is noticeably grippier than his previous SE3P RX-8 chassis.

Outside the car, Mohan knew that there weren’t many bodykit

THE ISSU E

options available for the ND Miata, so he decided to work with the OEM bumpers for this season. To make way for the wider track, Mohan trimmed the existing fenders and utilized KMR over-fenders that he developed for the RX8 chassis to provide some style, as well as a much wider track. The massive Built2Apex rear wing trims out the rear of the car, and is fully adjustable for whatever the situation. Custom GT-style carbon fiber side mirro s finish out the look of the ca , with Daley Visual providing the graphics to promote Mohan’s many sponsors and give the car a menacing look.

Mohan’s MX-5 is one of the fi st ND-based racecars in the world, and is easily the most powerful, with more than 1,000 horsepower spinning the rear wheels. While Mohan continues to dial in the power and grip, fans will be treated to one of the most enjoyable sounding motors on the Formula Drift grid.

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ESSENTIALS 2016 Mazda MX-5 DRIVER > Kyle Mohan BUILT BY > Mazdatrix & Kyle Mohan Racing ENGINE > Mazda 20B 3-rotor engine HORSEPOWER > 1,000+

ENGINE Ported, polished & matched block + Side-cut WPC-treated rotors + Mazda race bearings + Mazdaspeed (2-mm ceramic apex seals, dry sump) + Turbonetics (“Mohan Drift Spec” C72/75 turbocharger, blow-off valve, wastegate) + CX Racing (intercooler, 90-mm single butterfly throttle body, fuel rail, power steering cooler) + Mishimoto (racing double-pass radiator, 16-inch puller fan, double-pass oil coolers (2)) + Radium Engineering (fuel pressure regulator, fuel sump tank) + Walbro 740 fuel pump + Deka 2200cc fuel injectors + NGK Racing spark plugs + NOS 10-lb bottle + K&N air filter + Haltech (Elite 2500 ECU, coils) + Ignite Red 115-octane ethanol blend race fuel + Top 1 Racing 20w-50 synthetic race oil + Dyno tuned by Nelson Siverio

EXHAUST KMR 3-inch to 3.5-inch stainless steel exhaust system + CX Racing modified header

DRIVETRAIN Exedy (racing carbon triple-disk clutch, racing lightweight flywheel) + Jerico 4-speed transmission w/ center shift + Driveshaft Shop/KMR axles + Mazdatrix/KMR driveshaft + Winters Performance quick change LSD

WHEELS+TIRES+BRAKES XXR 527 wheels – 17x8.5 +28 (f), 18x10 +28 (r) + GT Radial SX2 tires – 245/40 R17 (f), 265/35 R18 (r) + Baker Precision braided stainless steel brake lines

THE FUN PART OF THE CAR COMES IN WITH THE ENGINE BAY. IF YOU PEEK UNDER THE HOOD, NOTABLY MISSING IS THE 2.0L SKYACTIV F OUR-CYLINDER MO TOR THAT COMES FROM THE MAZDA FACTORY, REPLACED BY A MAZDATRIX THREE-ROTOR ENGINE HAND-BUIL T BY MOHAN HIMSELF .

CHASSIS+SUSPENSION Eibach Pro R2 coilovers + Megan Racing sway bar + Speedway Racing sway bar + Wisefab suspension kit (f/r) + Mazda RX-7 FD3S steering rack + Toyota MR2 electric power steering pump

EXTERIOR KMR (over-fenders, bodywork) + Built2Apex (GT wing, aero parts) + Daley Visual vinyl graphics

INTERIOR Built2Apex aluminum dash + KMR custom shift knob + Driven (Steering Wheel, Harnesses) + K-Sport e-brake + Race Pak gauges + Haltech gauges

SPONSORS GT Radial, Mazdatrix, Mazda, Ignite American Ethanol, Universal Technical Institute, Silk Road America, Exedy Racing, Turbonetics, Mishimoto, CX Racing, Wisefab, Radium Engineering, Built2Apex, Haltech, Fuel Safe, Megan Racing, Eibach, XXR Wheels, Driven Steering Wheels, Baker Precision, Hillco Fasteners, AIT, Affliction Clothing, Music Saves Lives, Top 1 Oil, WPC Treatment, EF1 Motorsports, Daley Visual, TCS, KMR, Just Rotary

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Spot EXTRAS THE DIFFERENCES.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRAVIS CHIN

ORIGINAL

ALTERED

Want to win some awesome PASMAG gear?

Send us the 10 CORRECT answers to this puzzle at letters@pasmag.com for a chance to win a PASMAG Fan Pack (T-shirt, Formula Drift 10th Anniversary Photo Book, stickers and some copies of PASMAG)!

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TUNER BATTLEGROUNDS: #TBGLIVE #TBGLIVE provides regional competing opportunities for event promoters and competitors. Competitors who wish to participate in #TBGLIVE must advance/ pre-register to compete in the #TBGLIVE affili ed event(s).

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SQOLOGY: WINTER WARM-UP

ROCKINHAM DRAGWAY (ROCKINGHAM, NC) KMS Drift kicks off their 7th annual Championship series with a 2-day event.

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Feb 4 Feb 5 Feb 11 Feb 11 Feb 12 Feb 17-26 Feb 18 Feb 19 Feb 24-26 Feb 25-26 Feb 26 Mar 4-5 Mar 4 Mar 4 Mar 5 Mar 5 Mar 5 Mar 5 Mar 10-12 Mar 10-12 Mar 11 Mar 12 Mar 12 Mar 16-19 Mar 18 Mar 19 Mar 25-26 Mar 25-26 Mar 25 Mar 25 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 26 Mar 28-Apr 2

Wekfest: Hawaii SQOLOGY: Winter Warm-Up Elite Showdown: Las Vegas Gridlife: IceBattle Winter Auto-X Import Face-Off: Chandle Canadian International Auto Show Clean Culture x Street Racing Made Safe Import Face-Off: Bay own Lone Star Throwdown KMS Drift: Round 1 Import Face-Off: Ba ersfiel Heat Wave: Spring Break Jam 742 Race Wars: Los Angeles Tuner Galleria Import Face-Off: ontana Import Face-Off: Mon gomery JBM Capitol Raceway SQOLOGY: Knoxville Motorama Custom Car & Truck Expo Motorama: Spring Fever Hot Import Nights: Jacksonville, NC Import Face-Off: ouisiana KMS Drift: Round 2 Ottawa Gatineau International Auto Show Sumospeed: Night Moves Import Face-Off: as Vegas AUTOGRAS ImportAlliance: Spring Meet Concept / Klutch Wheels Block Party Vol.3 Spring Show Off: os Angeles Water By The Bridge Import Face-Off: Crof on Import Face-Off: Nobl Vancouver International Auto Show

VENUE Neal Blaisdell Center Audio Specialists Silverton Casino Lakeside Bar Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park Metro Toronto Convention Centre Palm Beach International Raceway Royal Purple Raceway Lone Star Expo Center Rockingham Dragway Auto Club Famoso Raceway South Padre Island Convention Center Irwindale Event Center Donald E. Stephens Convention Center California Speedway Drag Strip Montgomery Raceway Park Total Soccer Arena Sound Factory International Centre International Centre Jacksonville City Hall No Problem Raceway Carteret Speedway Shaw Centre Virginia Beach Sportsplex The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speeway Zephyr Stadium Atlanta Motor Speedway Concept One Wheels Spec-D Tuning Waterfront Park Official Cap ol Raceway Thunder Valley Raceway Park Vancouver Convention Centre

MAR 25-26, 2017

AUTOGRAS

MECACARAUDIO.COM

KMS DRIFT: ROUND 1

HOPKINSVILLE, KY SQOLOGY Winter Warm-UP for a 2x MECA and 1x IASCA points event.

DATE

SHRINE ON AIRLINE (METAIRIE, LA) MECA will host a 3x points event at AUTOGRAS car, truck and bike show.

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12 KMS DRIFT: ROUND 2

CARTERET SPEEDWAY (SWANSBORO, NC) Round 2 of KMS Drift will showcase a trio of competitions - drift, SLS Sound Off and car & truck show 'n shine - at their new 2017 venue.

KOSSMOTORSPORTS.COM

LOCATION Honolulu, HI Hopinsville, KY Las Vegas, NV Stevens Point, WI Chandler, AZ Toronto, ON Jupiter, FL Baytown, TX Conroe, TX Rockingham, NC Bakersfield, C South Padre Island, TX Irwindale, CA Rosemont, IL Fontana, CA Mongomery, AL Landover, MD Knoxville, TX Mississauga, ON Mississauga, ON Jacksonville, NC Belle Rose, LA Swansboro, NC Ottawa, ON Virginia Beach, VA Las Vegas, NV New Orleans, LA Hampton, GA La Puente, CA Walnut, CA Louisville, KY Crofton, MD Lexington, OK Vancouver, BC

WEBSITE wekfest-usa.com mecacaraudio.com elitetunerreg.com grid.life importfaceoff.net autoshow.ca cleancultureevents.com importfaceoff.net lonestarthrowdown.com kossmotorsports.com importfaceoff.net heatwaveshow.com racewarsusa.com tunergalleria.com importfaceoff.net importfaceoff.net march

mecacaraudio.com motoramashow.com motoramashow.com hotimportnights.com importfaceoff.net kossmotorsports.com autoshowottawa.com sumospeed.com importfaceoff.net autogras.com importalliance.org klutchwheels.com elitetuner.net waterbythebridge.com importfaceoff.net importfaceoff.net vancouverinternationalautoshow.com

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HEAT WAVE: SPRING BREAK JAM

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER (SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX) Heat Wave invites all custom truck and car, audio and tattoo enthusiasts to their first event of the year, Spring Break Jam. HEATWAVESHOW.COM

11 HOT IMPORT NIGHTS: JACKSONVILLE

JACKSONVILLE CITY HALL (JACKSONVILLE, NC) Join in celebrating modifying imports and domestics for this massive street scene car show, food festival, and main stage block party!

Taking over several city blocks.

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In 2017 we will be releasing weekly installments of PASMAG Tune Up, the tuner's source for WEEKLY NEWS, EVENT COVERAGE, SOCIAL RUN-DOWN and a close look at what is TRENDING in the automotive world. We'll also use the platform to RETREAD back to some of your favorite PAS content throughout the years, and offer our readers a new source for what is happening in the automotive world right now.

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W AT C H O N

ROUND 01

ROUND 05

STREETS OF LONG BEACH - MARCH 31 - APRIL 1

TRUE NORTH - JULY 14-15

ROUND 02

ROUND 06

UNCHARTERED TERRITORY - APRIL 28-29

THROWDOWN - AUGUST 4-5

ROUND 03

ROUND 07

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP - MAY 12-13

SHOWDOWN - TBD

ROUND 04

ROUND 08

THE GAUNTLET - JUNE 2-3

TITLE FIGHT - OCTOBER 13-14

LONG BEACH, CA

ORLANDO, FL

MONTREAL, CANADA

MONROE, WA

ATLANTA, GA

TEXAS

WALL, NJ

IRWINDALE, CA *SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT FORMULADRIFT.COM FOLLOW US FOR EVEN MORE DRIFTING ACTION! OFFICIAL DASHCAM

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@FORMULADRIFT

@FORMULAD

/FORMULADRIFT

OFFICIAL MILITARY SPONSOR

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PASMAG PREFERRED DEALERS CANADA

USA

Bagbarn Air Suspension Company 104-6001 196a St. Langley, BC V3A 1A8 www.facebook.com/ Bagbarnairsuspensionco P: (604) 427-2800

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+Receive preferred dealer listing (print) +Receive preferred listing in Dealer Locator on pasmag.com +Receive 10 copies per issue +Receive a poster for the shop

For more info and to register as a Preferred Dealer, go to www.pasmag.com/dealer or call (416) 922-7526.

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THE BEST FINISH IN THE VINYL WRAP INDUSTRY

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IMMORTALITY ACHIEVED. With over a full year of painstaking work and a no-expenses barred attitude, Clarion resurrected and reinvented an icon. Clarion Builds’ NSX started its journey as a bone stock and tired year-one Acura NSX. In its signature style, Clarion brought together an elite group of industry leaders to do what they do best, taking on the groundup restoration, modernization and tasteful modification of a timeless supercar and a true automotive legend.

THE ULTIMATE MIX OF OLD AND NEW MASTERED PERFECTLY BY CLARION BUILDS AND EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE THROUGH BARRETT-JACKSON You now have a chance to bid on this peerless supercar and, in the process, make a difference in the lives of countless veterans and their families. Debuting at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event in January, Clarion Builds’ highly praised Supercharged 1991 NSX restomod will be offered at the Northeast Mohegan Sun auction event on June 21-24, 2017. The proceeds of the auction will be donated entirely to a military charity.

Find out about the Clarion Builds NSX and the auction at www.clarionbuilds.com/acura-nsx

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